Abia Traditional Rulers Council has faulted the allegation by the suspended Eze Nnamdi Ofoegbu, the Diawa of Umudiawa Ancient Kingdom in Umuahia North Local Government Area that he was suspended from the council as a result of his affinity with and support for President Bola Tinubu and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon Benjamin Kalu.
The Council had,in a letter dated June 27, 2025, but delivered on July 3rd 2025, slammed a six-month suspension on the monarch
The suspension letter was signed by the Chairman of the Abia Traditional Rulers Council, Eze Sir Linus Nto Mbah, alongside his three deputies – HRM Eze Nelson Nnerengwa (1st Deputy chairman), HRM Eze Franklin Nwosu (2nd Deputy chairman) and HRM EzeUwakwe Ukaegbu (3rd Deputy chairman).
“Our letter dated 6th June 2025 refers; consequent upon your consistent and flagrant disregard to the instructions of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, with respect to your parading a parallel South East Traditional Rulers Council (Code named South East Progressive Traditional Rulers Forum, Ndigbo Progressive Traditional Rulers Forum) causing rift amongst the Traditional Rulers of the South East ably led by HRM Eze Dr. E. C. Okeke and bringing Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers to disrepute and dishonor to the State Government.
“You are hereby suspended from the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers for six months, and we have recommended to the State Government to withhold your payment for the said period, while we further monitor your conduct.
“This is a resolution of the Council during our general meeting held on 17th of June 2025 at JAAC House, Umuahia”, the letter reads in part.
Reacting to the allegation in an online news report,Eze Linus Mbah, in a statement made available to newsmen explained that the content of the letter which he equally made available to the press was not ambiguous and did not mention Mr. President or the Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives.
According to him, “The traditional rulers leadership in Abia State suspended EzeNnamdiOfoegbu because of insubordination and flagrant disregard to the instructions of the council and not his affinity with President Bola Tinubu or. Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
Eze Linus Mbah who recalled the content of his letter to EzeOfoegbu does not suggest that the suspended EzeNnamdiOfoegbu had any affinity with any of the political office holders mentioned, wondering why such allegations should surface
According to him,”let me reiterate that the letter that suspended him does not in any way suggest that it is because of his attitude or behaviour towards any political official, not even President Tinubu or Hon. Benjamin Kalu, rather it is because of his disrespect to the Council’s instructions as regards to running a parallel association”.
The monarch expressed his surprise that “a reporter could writte and published such a falsehood to discredit Abia State Government and Abia State Traditional Rulers, and attempt to create accrimony between the traditional institution in Abia state and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives”.
He therefore advised all Abians, South Easterners and Nigerians at large to disregard the purported publication, saying that it is the handiwork of individuals who agree to be hired to cause problems and fuel disunity among the people.
It could be recalled that the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers had in March this year, disbanded all traditional rulers’ associations operating in parallel with various state Traditional Rulers Councils in the South East, a decision that was contained in a communiqué released by the 9th Assembly of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers after its meeting held at JAAC House, Umuahia and publicized widely.
Briefing newsmen on Sunday, EzeOfoegbu said, “No, I am not campaigning for anybody because I am not a politician. Benjamin is our son. We are encouraging him over the work God is using him to do by attracting things to us and our children given appointments. So, this is not a bad thing and is not a campaign”.
He added, “They are victimizing me because we have an association that is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. I am not the only one with such associations, others do, like in Port Harcourt, Nigeria Delta and others and are registered with CAC. None are being suspended, but this one I am in that is being suspended and asked to stop it. The first letter was that I should stop the association and that I should change the name.
According to him, “They don’t talk about the security challenges we have in Igbo land. They do nothing. They don’t see where the Igbos are being killed in the South east and they will condemn it. I cannot be alive and our people are being killed and being slaughtered and none of them will say anything, only to gang up and suppress me because I will always say the truth when we go for meetings.”
The Punch
