An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan declared that Dr. Alex C.Anozie is the authentic and recognised Ezendigbo/ Onyendu Ndigbo of Ibadan and Oyo state while Chief Ndidi E. Nzeako is the President of the Ohana Eze Ndigbo in Oyo state.
Justice O.M Olagunju of the Oyo state High Court affirmed this in his judgement in the case with suit number I/1064/2018 instituted by Dr. Anozie and Mr. Nzeako against Chief Charles Odunukwe, Chief Nathaniel Uzoama, Chief George Iheonunekwu, Engr. Ndubuisi Benjamin Ikorosaid and Mr. Benjamin Ekechi.
The 1st and 2nd Claimants had asked the court among others, to determine whether the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Defendants have the power by virtue of Article 8 of the Ohane Eze Ndigbo, 2003 as Amended to conduct election for Ohane Eze Ndigbo, Oyo state on the 5th of September, 2018, in which the 4th and 5th Defendants were purportedly elected.
However, in his judgement delivered on 25th June, 2021, Justice Olagunju declared Dr. Anozie as the recognised Ezendigbo of Ibadan and Oyo state, Mr. Nzeako as the President of Oyo state Ohane Eze Ndigbo; set aside the election conducted on 5th September, 2018; and restrained the 4th and 5th Defendants from parading themselves as executives of Ohane Eze Ndigbo.
In his reaction, Eze Anozie thanked God Almighty for the judgement, which he said had resolved the leadership tussle that rocked the Oyo Igbo community for many years, declaring that it has laid to rest the tussle “which was ignited by these our brothers who do not know what they have been doing, but thought they knee what they were doing”.
Dr. Anozie in a press release made available to newsmen over the weekend, said the court judgement has confirmed him and his group as the only leadership of Igbos in Ibadan and Oyo state, disclosing that he had written to the Oyo state government, the Alaafin of Oyo, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, the Oyo state Commissioner of Police, and other relevant authorities informing them of the court judgement.
The statement reads in part: “It will be recalled that in an earlier judgement of Hon. Justice Abass of the High Court of 28th of February, 2014, the court ruled and confirmed me Dr. Alex Anozie as the Ezendigbo, Onyendu Ndigbo nala of Ibadan and Oyo state, the court went ahead to order the opponent, Chief Aloy Obi to stop parading as same.
“Another Magistrate court dismissed another one the police and Obi instituted against me Anozie, in the aftermath of that, Anozie has instituted one against Obi in a High Court, claiming One Billion Naira for defamation of character. Now this other High Court has given this judgement confirming me again Eze Dr. Anozie as the Ezendigbo/Onyendu Ndigbo nala of Ibadan and Oyo state, while Chief Emma Nzeako remains the President of Ohane Eze Ndigbo Oyo state.
“We thank God and the judiciary that has helped us out. With these favourable judgements we have been getting from the court without our approaching any judge to bribe, we now want to believe that it is not true that judiciary in our country are all corrupt. We believe now that many of them are still having the fear of God in doing their work.
“Yy group, Ohane Eze Ndigbo Oyo state (ICDA), which comprises all Igbo town unions and associations in Ibadan and Oyo state, has endured, preserved, we kept on trusting on God Almighty. I pleaded with my people to continue to trust in Him God alone, they agreed with me and kept trusting, we refused to go violent in any way despite all provocations.
“We sincerely thank the people of Yorubaland, the Governor of Oyo state, Engr. Seyi Makinde, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, the Alaafin of Oyo, and other Obas in Yorubaland for allowing us to sort out our misunderstanding peacefully through due process, whereby there is peace everywhere, as far as we Ndigbo are concerned.
“Meanwhile, we .want to make it clear, that not minding that we have won the case, we are extending our hands of brotherliness to them our brothers, we are Ndigbo, our doors are very open for them to come back to the fold where all of them belonged before devil deceived them and they missed their footsteps, for reasons best known to them”.
