In his continual manipulation and propagendish media war, self-imposed Igwe-elect of Mburubu in Nkanu East LGA of Enugu State, Mr Jerry Patrick Onuokaibe was in Mburubu today where he gathered handful women and youth to stage-manage protest and after he got them N1,000 each as against N5,000 he earlier promised them. This has triggered anger as the women rain abuses and uncomplimentary words to him. Onuokaibe has continued to show his desperation in becoming the traditional ruler of the community against the will of the people.
The midday heat hung heavily over Mburubu as a small group of women and youths gathered at the village square — some waving placards, others whispering hurried complaints beneath their breath. The gathering, announced earlier as a demonstration of support for Jerry Patrick Onuokaibe’s claim to the Igweship, began with chants but quickly collapsed into discontent. Many participants, according to those present, accused organisers of giving them only half of the compensation they had allegedly been promised.
It was meant to be a show of strength. Instead, it exposed cracks — not just within the demonstration itself, but within the community’s increasingly bitter leadership crisis.
For months, Mburubu has been engulfed in a controversy surrounding the traditional stool, a dispute marked by accusations of self-appointment, contested legitimacy, and a community torn between tradition and ambition. While Onuokaibe continues to refer to himself as “Igwe-elect,” many residents argue that he has no rightful claim to the position and that his actions amount to a forceful attempt to impose himself as ruler.
Today’s incident — a protest allegedly organised and financially induced — is seen by many villagers as the latest example of what they describe as a campaign of manipulation.
Women who took part in the march expressed their frustration openly. Some shouted that they felt deceived; others lamented being dragged into a political battle they neither initiated nor fully understood. A few remarked that the protest had been presented to them as a community event but turned out to be, in their words, “a staged charade.”
Their anger was palpable. Their disillusionment even more so.
At the heart of the crisis is a longstanding disagreement over who should rightfully occupy the Igweship — a decision historically guided by the rotational traditions of the community. Many elders insist that only candidates from a specific lineage are eligible at this time, while supporters of Onuokaibe argue that he has been chosen by sections of the community and therefore deserves recognition.
The clash between these interpretations has produced a foggy landscape of competing claims. Meetings have been held, petitions filed, and community gatherings disrupted by tension. The dispute has at times escalated into confrontations among villagers, prompting growing concern among residents who fear that the social fabric of Mburubu is fraying.
Today’s protest seemed to sharpen that fear.
Observers say the demonstration began with the unmistakable signs of orchestration: coordinated placards, pre-rehearsed slogans, and organisers directing participants on where to stand and how to move. But as soon as payments were reportedly distributed — in amounts many described as lower than promised — the façade fell apart. Women broke into arguments. Youths abandoned the slogans. A few walked off entirely.
The event, instead of projecting unity, amplified the perception of chaos.
Behind the turmoil lies a broader struggle for identity and authority. The Igweship, in communities like Mburubu, is more than a ceremonial role; it is a custodian of history, a stabilising presence, and a symbol of communal continuity. When that symbol becomes contested, the community itself is thrust into uncertainty.
Residents who oppose Onuokaibe’s claim describe him as overly ambitious, alleging that he is attempting to secure a crown through pressure, publicity, and personality-driven mobilization rather than through the communal consensus that tradition requires. His supporters, on the other hand, maintain that he has the backing of certain quarters and that resistance to him is rooted in village politics rather than tradition.
These competing narratives have hardened over time, leaving little room for dialogue. Elders who have attempted mediation say that mistrust has grown so deep that even neutral proposals — such as convening an inclusive community congress — now face suspicion.
Meanwhile, ordinary villagers are left grappling with the consequences: fear that their community may be entering an era of division, exhaustion from continuous political agitation, and embarrassment that internal disputes have become public spectacles.
For many who witnessed today’s disrupted protest, the event was less about the kingship and more about the integrity of the community’s decision-making. “If we start choosing our leader with money,” one woman remarked bitterly afterward, “then we do not have a leader at all.”
The scene of women shouting, youths dispersing, and organisers scrambling to maintain order may soon fade from the headlines, but the lessons will linger. It revealed a community weary of political theatre, skeptical of orchestrated displays, and increasingly anxious about the future.
In Mburubu, the Igweship fight has become more than a contest of eligibility. It is now a battle for moral authority — a battle for who defines leadership, how tradition is upheld, and what it means for a community to choose its own destiny.
And as today’s spectacle demonstrated, no amount of staged choreography can hide a crisis that runs this deep.
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