A brewing royal conflict has erupted in Umuezeala Autonomous Community, Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, where the reigning monarch, HRH Eze Engr. Cosmas Onyeberechi, has firmly resisted an alleged plot by some politicians and local actors to impose a parallel traditional stool on his community.
Eze Onyeberechi, who was duly recognized by the state government in 2021 and has since maintained peace and developmental harmony in the community, described the recent maneuver as a deliberate attempt to destabilize Umuezeala. He called on Governor Hope Uzodimma and the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs to intervene swiftly to halt what he termed a “premeditated assault” on the community’s heritage.
The monarch, who spoke during a press briefing in Owerri on Wednesday, July 17, 2025, warned that any attempt to foist a second kingship in a kingdom with a single cultural lineage could ignite unrest and chaos, especially in a region where traditional authority is deeply respected and constitutionally backed.
Backed by elders and stakeholders from the community, Eze Onyeberechi disclosed that he was not only crowned in accordance with ancestral rites, but also issued the government’s staff of office. He accused those behind the plot of forging documents and using political connections to install a puppet ruler who does not represent the wishes of the people.
He noted that the community had already written to the Imo State House of Assembly and copied the relevant authorities, warning that the dignity of the traditional institution must not be sacrificed on the altar of power tussles or partisan gains. “Our people are not fools. We know our true king, and no amount of propaganda or manipulation will erase that,” he declared.
Residents of Umuezeala and youth organizations have begun mobilizing peaceful protests to resist what they describe as “a desecration of their ancestral throne.” They vowed to defend the legacy of their forefathers and resist any imposition from external forces who are not grounded in the history of the land.
Calls are growing louder for the Imo State Government to take decisive action and prevent the traditional council from becoming a battleground for political experiments. “We’ve seen what dual kingship has done in other communities — bloodshed, division, and underdevelopment. We won’t allow that here,” one elder warned.
