The famous socio cultural group in Enugu East Senatorial District of Enugu State, Nkanu Peoples Assembly, has rejected a motion to endorse the gunbernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, as the only candidate of the Nkanu People for the forth coming governorship election in Enugu state. The Association which consists of Elders of Nkanu people found in the six LGAs of the Enugu East Senatorial District made the rejection during it's general meeting held on Sunday the 6th of Nov. 2022 in Enugu. The motion came from the traditional ruler of Umuawalagu autonomous Community in Nara Unateze, Nkanu East LGA, Igwe Abel Nwobodo who doubles as the National president Nkanu Peoples Assembly. Igwe Nwobodo while moving the motion informed the Nkanu elders that Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has anointed Mr. Peter Mba who equally hails from Nkanu East LGA as his preferred Choice for the office of Enugu State governor come 2023. "All I am asking for is for us to unanimously as a group support Peter Mba as our son since the governor has given him the ticket for the post". "We should intensify our prayers for him to win the election as the only Nkanu man that we are supporting". The motion was supported by the secretary of the Association.

But in a swift response to the development, a prominent founding member of the Association, Chief Emma Okenwa of Amechi Awkunanaw, moved a counter motion which later carried the day. Chief Okenwa vehemently rejected the endorsement of only Peter Mba as proposed by the national president emphasizing that the association comprises of People from the six LGAs that make up the Enugu East Senatorial District stating emphatically that any candidate coming from the six councils should be a candidate of the Nkanu People as has always been the case in the past."I Chief Emma Okenwa was among the first set that started this Association. I was the first committee chairman that gave Chimaroke Nnamani reception in 1999. And Nkanu has not done it again since then". "I led the delegation that went to Isi Uzo LGA to bury Isaiah Ani on behalf of Nkanu Peoples Assembly. What we have is six LGAs and any candidate that emerges from any of these LGAs becomes Nkanu candidate" "We have never been Partisan before the coming of Chimaroke Nnamani. So it is not proper that anybody tries to confuse us with whatever governor said about anointing any candidate. We are elders and this is not what we should be talking about. We are supposed to be completely non Partisan as we used to be".
The counter motion was widely supported with massive applause from the elders. Several other speakers spoke in favour of the counter motion and generally cautioned the leadership of association to resist any attempt to politicise it.

Speaking after the meeting some elders who pleaded anonymity expressed their anger with Igwe Abel Nwobodo who according to them has held tight to the office of the national president for more than 20 years now. When asked if the association doesn't conduct election, one of the elders stated: "We are supposed to be doing election but how do you do election when the national president has not said so Is it not when he agrees to conduct an election that it will hold" "This is a man who is over 90 years old and yet what is still worrying him is to continue as the National President of Nkanu Peoples Assembly. The issue is he has stayed too long in that post. How can you continue to resist change of leadership after more than twenty years you have stayed on the post".

The decision of the Association not to endorse Peter Mba will rekindled trust among the members of the group since it is now seen that some people want to use the association to achieve some selfish gain to the detriment of the Association. And we salute the courage of the Elders and the entire membership of the Nkanu People Assembly for speaking the truth to those who think that certain part of the Enugu East Senatorial district should continue to suffer marginalization for no just course.