Attah Igala stool: Northern oligarchs mounting pressure to install muslim Attah – Youth leader alledges

A youth leader, Inalegwu Ocheje has accused has alledged that Northern oligarchs are currently interloping into Igala traditional stool to ensure that the next Attah must be a Muslim.

He said pressure was being mounted that whoever that will get to the Igala throne which is currently being struggled, if not being a muslim should convert.

The youth leader was quoted in a statement he signed and made available to CAPITAL POST in Lokoja on Saturday, adding that if the next Attah converts, he would be advised to marry more wives in line with the tradition of his new faith.

The statement pointed out that the pressure from the North to have a muslim Attah installed will weaken Igala tradition as the kingdom will be subservient to the dictates of the North.

He faulted the review panel on the appointment of new Attah of Igala for taking a unilateral decision without recourse to the video evidence tendered by the candidate presented to the kingmakers by the Ajuameachor ruling house, Prince Samuel Opaluwa.

This was also buttresed by the position of the choice of review panel, Prince Mathew Alaji Opaluwa who had already conceded defeat at a family meeting, as he only mentioned Prince Ocholi Opaluwa as his obstacle, and not his elder brother, Prince Samuel Opaluwa, who was earlier selected by the family or his alilement.

He wondered how the review panel arrived at the choice against the family decision of selection of Prince Samuel Opaluwa, the eldest son even when they had no wherewithal or subject him to wider health examination, since they are not health experts, but mere observation and physical examination, that is unacceptable in the present modern age.

“The review panel went against the gazzette that clearly spelt out the input of other ruling houses after the selection, saying the Royal houses have no power to approve a candidate, a clear negation of the provisions”, Inalegwu muttered.

“This is also in addition to no known or established case of social and administrative misconduct against the selected candidate from Ajuameachor ruling house, Prince Samuel Opaluwa, a clear indication of unfair and obviously compromised manner decided against his candidacy by the teleguided review panel, for his being the only legal and traditional upright nomination.”

According to the youth leader, “this unpopular position of the review panel also fuelled by a haywire reliable rumours making the round, that religion may be at stake, as some Christians are being coerced to convert to moslem with promise of a wife from the north, subjecting the great Igala culture as subservient to Northern oligarchy.”

He further maintained that the choice of Prince Samuel Opaluwa as the selected Attah Igala designate from the Ajuameachor ruling house does not concede to religious extremism or bigotry before arriving at its decisions and choice.

Ocheje said the report of the review panel is only fit to be dumped in the dustbin of history, rather than being used as a basis for the emergence of the new Attah Igala.