Crisis is imminent, Intense race has begun , trouble associated with the succession of a rotational throne is playing out in the making of a brand new Asagba of Asaba.
This followed the demise of the 13th Asagba of Asaba Obi (Prof) Chike Edozien .
Already Prof Emmanuel Onwuka has raised alarm over an alleged plot to scheme him out of the race.
Asaba community runs the Asagbaship stool on rotational basis among the Five existing quarters or “Ebos” namely Umuezei, Umuagu, Ugbomanta, Umuaji and Umuonaje.
The last Asagba who joined his ancestors sometime this year, Obi (Prof) Chike Edozien hailed from Umuezei. Having passed on , it is now the turn of Ugbomanta quarters to produce the next Asagba in accordance with the rotation norm of the people of AHABA, a name corrupted to be referred to, as ASABA.
Our correspondent can authoritatively report that no fewer than five aspirants from the quarter due to produce the successor to the throne (Ugbomanta) have declared their interest for the coveted stool.
They are Prof. Epiphany Azinge, SAN, former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies from 2009 and 2014; Mr. Tony Ogugua Konwea, Prof. Emmanuel Onwuka; Ogbuechi Chinedu Esealuka among others.
Already, intrigues usually associated with the selection and emergence process of a King have started to rear the ugly head as one of the contestants cried out over an alleged move to scheme him out of the race.
The alarm came from one of the top contenders for the throne, Prof Emmanuel Onwuka who hails from Isieke, Ugbomanta quarters.
He has asked the people of Asaba and the general public to ignore the rumour making the rounds to the effect that he has dropped his ambition.
Rather, he said that the rumour being peddled was a ploy applied “by those who feel threatened by my emergence as one of the most qualified and preferred candidate for the reverend ancient throne of Asaba Kingdom”.
He described the perpetrators of the rumour as enemies of Asaba progress while calling on the people to jettison same.
Prof. Onwuka revealed that he has been screened and recommended along side two others as candidates for the position of Asagba of Asaba by the Umuonishe Committee on the Selection of Asagba of Asaba.
Onwuka clarified that the Umuonishe Committee had not adopted any person as the sole candidate for the position as being peddled and that he is very much in the race.
