Awka Traditionalists Declare Austin Ndigwe as Ezeuzu III, Reject Charles Chukwuma Soludo Panel
Awka Traditionalists Declare Austin Ndigwe as Ezeuzu III, Reject Charles Chukwuma Soludo Panel
The leadership tussle over the traditional throne of Awka has taken a dramatic turn as the Omenani Awka, the apex body of traditionalists, officially declared Austin Ndigwe as the rightful Ezeuzu III and traditional ruler of the ancient kingdom.
In a strongly worded press statement issued our heritage Reporter online News by its Chairman, Chief Toochukwu Nwokoye Nwosu, the group described the recognition as a historic and irreversible decision rooted in ancestral authority and cultural legitimacy. The council also openly rejected the outcome of the panel set up by Charles Chukwuma Soludo, insisting that tradition cannot be dictated by political structures.
The declaration sets the stage for heightened tensions in Awka, as traditionalists, government authorities, and other stakeholders continue to clash over the legitimacy of the throne and the future of the town’s revered cultural institution.
Full statement reads:
TEXT OF PRESS STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN OMENANI AWKA
RE: AWKA TRADITIONALISTS RECOGNIZE HIM AUSTIN NDIGWE AS EZEUZU 111, TRADITIONAL RULER OF AWKA
Fellow Awka indigenes, custodians of our ancestral heritage, distinguished members of the press, and all well-meaning sons and daughters of the ancient kingdom of Awka, both at home and in the diaspora:
I, Chief Toochukwu Nwokoye Nwosu, Chairman of Omenani Awka, the supreme council of Awka Traditionalists and custodians of Ndi Omenala, I have the full authority and mandate of our forebears to issue this historic and unequivocal press statement.
Today, we make bold and reaffirm our irreversible declaration that: *AWKA TRADITIONALISTS RECOGNIZE HIM AUSTIN NDIGWE AS ITS EZEUZU 111, TRADITIONAL RULER OF AWKA*.
*This recognition is not a mere pronouncement. It is the voice of the land speaking through the blood and bones of our ancestors. It is the roar of the ancient shrines, and the unanimous verdict of every true son and daughter of Awka na aso enwe. His Imperial Majesty Austin Ndigwe is not just a man; he is the chosen custodian of our tradition, the living embodiment of Awka’s royal lineage, and the only legitimate Eze Omenala that the land has accepted.*
We utterly and vehemently condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the so-called outcome of the Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo-led panel. That panel, from its very inception, was a calculated assault on our culture, a deliberate attempt to impose foreign religious hegemony on a people whose roots run deeper than anyone can imagine.
*The recommendations of that panel are null and void in the eyes of Ndi Omenala. They hold no water in the spiritual realm and carry no weight in the ancestral court of our forebears. We reject it wholesale, root and branch.*
Let it be known to Governor Soludo and his cohorts that we, the Traditionalists of Awka had prior to the Constitution of the Panel, approached a competent court of jurisdiction and obtained a clear and subsisting court injunction. That injunction explicitly permits the Church to continue with its activities unhindered, while simultaneously granting full and unrestricted liberty to Ndi Omenala to carry out our own traditional rites, ceremonies, and kingship installation without interference. The court has spoken. The law has drawn the line. Any attempt to cross that line is not governance; it is tyranny clothed in political robes.
Governor Soludo must understand one sacred truth: *he cannot and will not force Ndi Omenala to accept a church leader as our king*. Never! The throne of Awka is not a pulpit. Our crown is not a cassock.
Tradition is not negotiable.
Tradition is not subject to government panel.
Tradition has come to stay!
It has been here before government arrived.
It will be here long after every political administration has faded into the dust of history.
The land of Awka will never forgive Governor Soludo for this reckless attempt to bring confusion into our peaceful kingdom. The soil that gave birth to our fathers is watching. The spirits of our ancestors are recording. History will judge him harshly for trying to divide Awka along religious lines. For attempting to subordinate the indigenous throne to a religious structure. For daring to tamper with what the gods themselves have ordained. The land does not forget. The land does not forgive such desecration.
Yet, despite these provocations, we are proud to announce to the world that Awka has remained peaceful and progressive since the dethronement of Gibson Nwosu.His removal brought relief, not chaos. It brought light, not darkness. Since that day, our markets have thrived, our youths have found direction, our daughters have married in honour, and our sons have walked with dignity. Development has not stopped; rather, it has accelerated because the land is now at rest with its rightful custodians. Peace has returned because the wrong man left the throne. Progress has continued because tradition has been allowed to breathe again.
We therefore call on all true Traditionalists, all genuine Ndi Omenala, all real sons and daughters of Awka to remain calm, resolute, and law-abiding.
Do not be provoked.
Do not allow agents of division to push you into any act that will give our detractors cheap propaganda.
The people are behind HIM Austin Ndigwe.
The market women are behind him.
The youth are behind him.
The elders are behind him.
The shrines have spoken.
The ancestors have confirmed.
The court has protected.
The land has accepted.
His Imperial Majesty Obi Austin Ndigwe is not a candidate for the throne; he is the throne. He is not seeking kingship; kingship has sought and found him. He carries the royal blood. He speaks the language of the ancestors. He walks with the staff of authority that our fathers handed down.
To Governor Soludo, we say this with respect but with unshakeable firmness:
Respect the court injunction.
Respect the will of the people.
Respect the tradition of Awka.
Stop the provocation.
Stop the interference.
Stop trying to impose what the land has rejected.
The same people who gave you their mandate to govern are the same people telling you today that on the issue of our traditional kingship, you have no mandate. None whatsoever.
To our brothers and sisters in the diaspora, to every Awka person scattered across the globe, we say: This is your moment. Stand with tradition. Stand with His Imperial Majesty Obi Dr. Austin Ndigwe, Ezeuzu 111, Send your voices, your prayers, and your support. The land is calling. The ancestors are watching.
To the press, we thank you for giving this statement the widest publicity.
Let the world hear.
Let Anambra hear. Let Nigeria hear.
Let the international community know that Awka Traditionalists have spoken with one voice and His Imperial Majesty Obi Dr. Austin Ndigwe, JP MON Ezeuzu 111 is our King.
Tradition has come to stay.
The land has chosen.
The people are behind him.
Awka is at peace.
Signed:
Chief Toochukwu Nwokoye Nwosu
Chairman, Omenani Awka
(Custodian of Ndi Omenala)
For and on behalf of the entire Traditional Institution of Awka Kingdom.
Long live Awka!
Long live Ndi Omenala!
Long live Eze Ndigwe Austin!
The King has been recognized!
