A fresh controversy has erupted within the Evwreni Clan Improvement Union (ECIU) following allegations that the President General, Chief Kenneth Ukpebitere, presented and read an “amended constitution” that was neither approved nor completed by the union’s Constitution Review Committee.
Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Okpako Sunday, in an exclusive telephone interview with NewsNet Nigeria, dismissed the document as illegal and unauthorised, insisting that the committee is yet to conclude its assignment.
Dr. Sunday explained that the committee —comprising himself as chairman, Professor Emmanuel Akara as vice chairman, and Mrs. Clementina Obahor as secretary, Barr Winners Ayovwe as member, amongst others — had conducted several meetings, both physical and virtual, and even invited memoranda from members of the Evwreni community to guide its work.
According to him, although the committee had made significant progress, no final document had been printed or officially submitted to the ECIU leadership.
“We have never printed any constitution, nor have we submitted any copy of our work to the President General or any organ of the union,” he stated.
He further revealed that a critical section of the constitution—dealing with the tenure of the President General—was deliberately left untouched by the committee.
The existing provision in the 2016 constitution, he said, allows only a single three-year term for the President General, with no option for a second tenure.
“That aspect was not altered because we found it appropriate and consistent with the intent of the founding fathers. Even community feedback supported retaining a single three-year tenure,” Dr. Sunday said.
The controversy stems from a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting convened by Prince Ukpebitere on April 12, 2026, where the disputed document was reportedly presented.
Dr. Sunday alleged that the version circulated at the meeting had been “doctored” to introduce a provision allowing the President General to serve two terms.
He also questioned the composition of the meeting, noting that NEC is traditionally made up of branch presidents and secretaries, but claimed that traditional rulers and other individuals who are not statutory members were present and participated.
According to him, the proper constitutional amendment process requires that the review committee first submit its draft to all branches for scrutiny, after which inputs are harmonised and presented at a general conference for final adoption.
“What happened at that meeting did not follow due process. You don’t amend a constitution in that manner. It is completely irregular,” he said.
Dr. Sunday disclosed that upon discovering the alleged alterations, he and several other members staged a walkout from the meeting in protest.
He further alleged attempts to influence stakeholders in support of the proposed changes, including claims that financial inducements were offered to branches and key individuals—an allegation yet to be independently verified.
“Our position is clear: the document presented did not emanate from us. It is illegal, and we dissociate ourselves completely from it,” he declared.
The committee chairman maintained that, based on the current constitution, the President General is not eligible for a second term, insisting that any attempt to introduce such a provision outside due process would be resisted.
When contacted, the ECIU President General, Prince Kenneth Ukpebitere, argued that the timeline given to the Constitution Review Committee had expired, insisting that the committee’s mandate covered a comprehensive review of the constitution, including provisions relating to the tenure of the President General.
He further stated that the committee is expected to submit its draft to the ECIU executive, which would then forward it to the National Executive Council (NEC) and subsequently to the general conference for consideration and ratification.
