By Cornel Osigwe
I wish to formally inform Ndi Nnewi and the general public that I am seeking the Chairmanship of Nnewi North Local Government as an indigene of Nnewichi Quarter, in full alignment with the long-established zoning and rotation arrangement that has guided political offices in Nnewi for decades. My formal declaration will take place in the coming days, when I will present my vision for a united and progressive Nnewi North.
This aspiration is not driven by personal ambition but by respect for an agreement that has preserved peace, fairness, and unity among the four quarters of Nnewi.
The Nnewi zoning document clearly establishes that the Chairmanship of Nnewi North Local Government is rotational, with each quarter taking its turn in a defined order to prevent domination and political conflict.
According to the same document, once the chairmanship is zoned to a quarter, only candidates from that quarter are eligible to contest in that election cycle.
This principle ensures that rotation is respected in practice and that no quarter is denied its rightful opportunity.
Historical records captured in the zoning document further show that after the 1997 chairmanship election zoned to Uruagu, the office was to rotate through Otolo, Umudim, and then Nnewichi, before returning to Uruagu.
By this established order, and following Umudim’s turn, Nnewichi is next. This is a matter of record, not opinion.
It is also necessary to clarify that the zoning document does not fix tenure length.
Tenure is determined strictly by law. The Anambra State Local Government Administration Law provides a two-year tenure for Local Government Chairmen, and no community resolution or communiqué can override that law. The zoning agreement regulates rotation, not duration.
For the avoidance of doubt, any amendment to the zoning document must follow due process, involving full consultation and the consent of all four quarters of Nnewi. Such amendments cannot be made through selective meetings or during an active electoral cycle.
Most importantly, no sitting Local Government Chairman should be a beneficiary of any amendment, as that would amount to self-interest and undermine the credibility of the process.
It is also significant that the recent communiqué being circulated in the public space was issued without the participation of the President General of Nnewichi Quarter, meaning that Nnewichi was not represented at the meeting where the decision was taken. By Nnewi tradition, no decision affecting all quarters can claim legitimacy without the involvement of all.
My position is, therefore, clear and consistent: the law provides the tenure, the zoning document provides the rotation, history provides the order, and fairness demands compliance. On all these counts, it is the turn of Nnewichi to produce the next Chairman of Nnewi North Local Government.
I call on elders, stakeholders, institutions, and political actors to uphold the zoning arrangement, respect due process, and allow a peaceful and honourable transition in the best interest of Nnewi.
Nnewi’s strength has always been its ability to resolve political matters through fairness, consensus, and respect for agreements. We must not abandon that tradition now.
Cornel Osigwe
Aspirant, Nnewi North Local Government Chairmanship.
