Tension Mounts in Agunese Mmaku Over Town Union Election

Tension is mounting in Agunese Mmaku Autonomous Community, Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, over an alleged move to conduct a town union election despite an interim court order restraining the process.

A community leader, Chief Onuselogu Nevo Obasi, has accused the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs and its Commissioner, Chief Charles Egungbe, of attempting to proceed with the election despite the order of the Awgu Magistrate Court.

Obasi alleged that the planned election violated provisions of the community’s constitution, particularly its zoning arrangement for the office of President-General.

According to him, the position is constitutionally zoned to Ibitte Mmaku and rotates between the two clans within the area.

He alleged that some individuals were attempting to manipulate the arrangement to return a former President-General, Mr. Simeon Ogbonnaya Okike.

Obasi further alleged that Okike has relationships with some officials of the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs, which he claimed had influenced the ministry’s position on the election. The allegations have not been independently verified.

The dispute is now before the Awgu Magistrate Court in Suit No. NWG/5M/2026, filed on August 7, 2026, before His Worship Ngozi Edith Agbo.

The defendants are Simon Okike, Norbert Okolo and Eusebius Okolo.

Through his counsel, C.N. Okoro, Obasi sought an interim injunction restraining the defendants, their agents and privies from conducting screening, selling or purchasing nomination forms, or conducting an election into the town union offices pending the determination of the motion on notice.

The court subsequently granted an interim injunction restraining the defendants from proceeding with the election process and adjourned the matter to August 17, 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice.

Obasi said the motion had not been determined, expressing concern over what he described as continued efforts to proceed with the election despite the court order.

He also claimed that the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs and the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice had been notified of the legal dispute.

Obasi called on Governor Peter Mbah to urgently intervene, warning that continued disagreement over the election could trigger a crisis in the community.

However, when contacted, Commissioner Egungbe declined to comment on the allegations immediately, asking the correspondent to visit his office on Monday.

He said: “There is no problem. I will talk to you on Monday when you come to the office, so that we can see eyeball to eyeball.”

This version gives the story a stronger front-page/community-conflict lead without presenting the allegations as established facts.