Stakeholders from the Mbulu-Iyiukwu, Mbulu-Njodo, and Mbulu-Owehe geopolitical zones in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State have accused the dominant Nike Uno bloc of monopolising political power in the council for nearly three decades.
They are now demanding what they describe as an end to systemic marginalisation and exclusion from leadership positions in the local government.
In a press statement issued on Friday by Barrister Chukwuemeka Agbo on behalf of concerned stakeholders, the groups alleged that since the creation of Enugu East LGA in 1996, every elected chairman has emerged from the Nike Uno political zone.
According to them, this has continued despite the Mbulu axis accounting for about 75 percent of the local government’s population.
Describing the situation as “wanton abandonment and neglect,” the stakeholders warned that the continued concentration of political power in one area is creating tension and resentment within the communities that make up Nikeland.
They said, “This press release is to reveal to the good people of Enugu East Local Government Area and to the world the pervasive discrimination, marginalisation and neglect the political zones of Mbulu Njodo, Mbulu Iyiukwu and Mbulu Owehe have suffered in the hands of Nike Uno.”
The groups said an agreement was reached in 2007 by traditional rulers, community leaders, and political stakeholders to rotate key political offices among the four geopolitical zones in the council area: Nike Uno, Mbulu Njodo, Mbulu Owehe, and Mbulu Iyiukwu.
However, they alleged that despite this arrangement, Nike Uno has continued to dominate the chairmanship position uninterrupted since 1996.
They listed several past and present council chairmen, all allegedly from Nike Uno, and argued that the imbalance has created deep feelings of exclusion among other zones.
“From the above analysis of the political and administrative appointments and elective positions, it is obvious there is imbalance and deprivation in the sharing formula to the other geopolitical zones,” the statement added.
The stakeholders warned that the situation could become a “time bomb” if not urgently addressed, stressing that it threatens the peaceful coexistence of the communities.
They called on Governor Peter Mbah to intervene and ensure that the next chairmanship position is zoned to one of the marginalised blocs in the spirit of fairness, equity, and justice.
The agitation adds to growing calls for power rotation across local government areas in Enugu State as political alignments begin to take shape ahead of the next election cycle.