Confusion in Abia Assembly as two speakers emerge

Confusion in Abia Assembly as two speakers emerge

There is trouble in Abia State House of Assembly over the alleged election of a new speaker to replace Chinedum Orji.
A faction of the House presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Ifeanyi Uchendu, was said to have met and impeached Orji. They later elected Chukwudi Apugo, representing Umuahia East constituency, as a new speaker.
Former speaker of the House, Kennedy Njoku, had moved a motion which was seconded by Chijioke Chukwu, after accusing Orji of insensitivity to the welfare of the members, among sundry offences.
Two after hours after Apugo’s emergence, Orji stormed the Assembly complex and commenced sitting with his loyalists and suspended nine members including the new speaker.

They also elected Mandela Obasi as the new Deputy Speaker and Emeka Okoroafor as a new minority leader.

Those suspended are the deputy speaker, Ifeanyi Uchendu, and former speaker Chikwendu Kalu, Kennedy Njoku, Minority Leader Chijioke Chukwu,  Obinna Ichita, Okey Igwe, Thomas Nkoro and Aaron Uzodike.
The Majority Leader of the Assembly, Solomon Akpulonu, said the factional group lacked the required number to impeach the speaker and could not carry out an impeachment in a private building.
“You can’t impeach a speaker from the comfort of your home. If the speaker had committed any offence, the process of impeachment must be followed. But they went to a private building; the clerk of the House wasn’t present; they didn’t bring any motion to the House to consider; they didn’t have the required two thirds majority to impeach the Speaker. Some of the signatures of members were forged,” he said.

Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has offered to mediate in the crisis.
Ikpeazu said barely less than one month to the end of his administration and the ushering of a new administration, it would make no sense to engage in any issue likely to plunge the state into confusion.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Onyebuchi Ememanka, the governor said his preoccupation was how to pilot the ship of state peacefully and steadily to the handover time as well as the completion of key projects.

He urged the Assembly to maintain the peace and allow reason and patriotism to guide their actions.

Confusion in Abia Assembly as two speakers emerge