Nigeria: Delta Commissioner Resigns for Brother to Emerge LG Chairmanship Candidate

The Commissioner for Technical Education and former member of the House of Representatives for Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, Delta State, Joan Onyemaechi, has resigned from her appointment.

Her resignation followed pressure arising from the question of which clan should produce the next chairmanship candidate in her local government, Aniocha South.

In a video that has gone viral, Onyemaechi stated that she resigned to pave the way for her brother, Jude Chukwunwike, who is contesting for the Aniocha South Local Government Council chairmanship, to scale through since there had been much bickering against one family holding both the commissioner and council chairman positions.

Addressing the congregation at her church in Asaba, she said, "You are now seeing a former commissioner. I have resigned my appointment."

She clarified that it was the turn of the Ubulu-Ukwu clan (her clan) to produce the chairmanship candidate, as the other two clans had rotated the position among themselves in the past.

Aniocha South LGA of Delta State is made up of three clans: Ogwashi Uku, Ubulu-Ukwu and Nsukwa. The ongoing debate centres around which clan is equitably qualified to produce the next chairman of the local government council, with the election scheduled for July.

A recent protest staged by a group known as Equity Crusaders in the Nsukwa Clan claimed that it was their turn, accusing Onyemaechi, popularly known as Ada Anioma, of trying to disrupt the zoning formula due to alleged greed and avarice.

Responding to the allegations, Onyemaechi stated, "I refuse to be blackmailed by those who see politics as their farmland. She said her appointment is at the discretion of the governor, while her brother's decision to contest is his right, based on the zoning arrangement in their local government area.

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