Traditional Rulers from the nine Local Government Areas in Owerri zone have denied knowledge of their recent “endorsement” of the All Progressives Congress candidate for Imo East Senatorial District Prince Alex Mbata, describing news to that effect published in some Owerri based newspapers as a fat lie, big insult and affront on the traditional institution in the zone.
A number of monarchs who spoke to our reporter on telephone conversation Monday said Ndi Eze Owerri zone did not meet and will never meet to discuss how to endorse candidate of a particular political party for any reason, insisting that Alex Mbata’s purported endorsement is a nullity till tomorrow.
Prominent among the traditional rulers who spoke to our reporter were the Chairman Mbaise Council of Ndi Eze HRH Eze Leo Nwokocha, HRH Eze Geo Anika of Atta Kingdom, HRH Eze Enwereuzor of Ohii, HRH Eze Marcel Egomonu who is the immediate past Chairman of Ikeduru Council of Ndi Eze, among many others.
The revered monarchs who frowned at the purported endorsement advised political party candidates to go out and engage the masses instead of invading and desecrating the traditional institution with non-existent endorsements.
According to them, Owerri zone parades a galaxy of good candidates for the 2023 Senate, and Ndi Eze being the custodians of the culture and ofo Owerri zone as well as fathers to all candidates will only pray for them all and ask the electorate to make their choice, and not to endorse a particular candidate.
They traditional Rulers finally reaffirmed their total insulation from partisan politics, and advised the public to disregard the purported endorsement of the APC candidate, Mr Alex Mbata.
Meantime, a pro democracy group, New Nigeria Development Ambassadors NNDA has described Prince Alex Mbata as the least qualified candidate for Imo State Senatorial District, adding that the APC candidate also lacks the legislative capacity, experience and content to represent the most enlightened Senatorial zone in the country.
Spokesperson of NNDA Mr Moses Gbolahun in a statement over the weekend, urged Mbata to face his multi billion naira investments and use same to impact his world and his people as he has claimed to have done, instead of aspiring to go to the Senate, a place he (Mbata) will only remain a bench warmer due to lack of experience and background.
