Tension has reportedly resurfaced in Ihite Community, Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, following a dispute over the planned celebration of the community’s 2026 New Yam Festival amid an ongoing legal battle over the traditional stool.
Chief Timothy Okwudiri Ifurunwa was recognised by the Anambra State Government as the traditional ruler of Ihite in January 2025. Governor Chukwuma Soludo presented him with a certificate of recognition during a ceremony at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia.
However, some members of the Ihite Traditional Council have continued to challenge the process that produced Ifurunwa, alleging that they were excluded from the selection process.
The aggrieved members subsequently instituted legal proceedings and, according to reports and documents cited by the petitioners, obtained an order from the State High Court sitting in Umunze setting aside Ifurunwa’s coronation pending the determination of issues surrounding the selection of the traditional ruler. The dispute is reportedly connected to Suit No. HOS/47/2024.
The latest disagreement followed the announcement of September 29, 2026, as the date for the Ihejioku Ihite 2026 Festival, the community’s New Yam celebration.
Members of the aggrieved traditional council have objected to the proposed date, arguing that the ongoing dispute over the traditional stool should first be resolved.
Through their lawyer, N.I. Onyeakpa, the council petitioned the Anambra State Government through the Commissioner for Local Government, Town Union and Chieftaincy Affairs, Barrister Vin Ezeaka, as well as the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji-Ama.
The petitioners urged the authorities to intervene and halt the proposed festival, warning that the dispute could lead to a breakdown of law and order.
The council also alleged that some individuals had altered the community’s chieftaincy arrangements and challenged the legitimacy of those currently performing the functions of the traditional council. These allegations remain contested and are part of the broader dispute before the court.
The petitioners further argued that fixing the New Yam Festival while the matter is before the court was inappropriate and called on the relevant authorities to ensure that all parties respect the judicial process.
Speaking separately, the Chairman of the Ihite Traditional Council, Chief Sir Dominic Ahamkaoye, and an indigene of the community, High Chief Sampson Ikechukwu Okoli, expressed concern over the planned celebration.
They also alleged that levies were being imposed on villages to raise funds for the festival, although this claim could not be independently established from the available reports.
The development comes against the background of a longstanding disagreement over the succession to the Ihite traditional stool following the death of the former monarch, Igwe B.O. Ofu Eze Amama I, in 2020. Previous reports have documented the competing positions surrounding the selection process and subsequent recognition of Ifurunwa by the state government.
As the September 29 date approaches, attention is now focused on the response of the Anambra State Government, the police and the courts to the competing claims, with community stakeholders calling for measures to prevent any escalation of the dispute.
By Enitan Mudashiru | MUK TV News
