By Chinaza Osigwe
Chief Chibuzo Okekeife of Umudiabor, Ndiowu, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, has emerged as the new traditional ruler of Ndiowu Community following a keenly contested election supervised by officials of the Anambra State Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs.The election, which held at Ndiowu Community Primary School, was supervised by a team led by Mr. Ikechukwu Mgbeike, who represented the Commissioner, Hon. Tony-Collins Nwabunwanne.A total of 530 eligible voters drawn from the nine villages in the community participated in the exercise. At the end of the voting, Chief Okekeife polled 506 votes to secure a landslide victory, while Ugochukwu Nwankwo, Onyeka Ekwueme and Onyeka Kanu recorded two votes each. Obuneme Okeke recorded no vote.Speaking to journalists, the former Deputy Majority Leader of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Emeka Aforka, the Chairman of Orumba North Local Government Area, Chief Chinonso Nwafor, and other community stakeholders, including Dr. Onyebuchi Okekeife, Mr. Alex Ucheime and Evangelist Uche Nwafor, expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the election. They commended the state government for respecting the will of the people and pledged their support for the new traditional ruler.In his acceptance speech, Chief Okekeife thanked the people of Ndiowu for the confidence they placed in him and promised to justify their trust. He said his reign would focus on education, security, the welfare of the less privileged, and the overall development and unity of the community.The election ended on a celebratory note as youths, women and men took to the streets in jubilation, singing and dancing through the community before proceeding to the new monarch’s residence.
