The Deputy Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Ifeanyi Uchendu, has been impeached. This development came hours after heading the impeachment of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji.
Uchenna had presided over the impeachment of Orji at a location in Umuahia suspected to be Emeka Omeruo Government Guest House. At the meeting, the assemblymen elected Hon. Chukwudi Apugo representing Umuahia East state constituency as the new Speaker.
However, a shocking turn of events took place during a latter plenary on the floor of the Assembly presided over by the Speaker, Hon. Orji. The House in this session impeached the Deputy Speaker, and elected Hon. Mandela Obasi representing Ohafia North to replace him.
A suspension was also passed on 8 other lawmakers who participated in the impeachment of the Speaker including the embattled Deputy Speaker by one month.
The suspended lawmakers were Hon. Chukwudi Apugo ( elected earlier as the new Speaker by those who impeached Orji); Hon. Kennedy Njoku ( Osisioma Ngwa North), who moved the motion for Orji’s impeachment; Chijioke Chukwu ( Bende North) who seconded the motion for Orji’s impeachment, Speaker of the sixth Assembly ( Isiala Ngwa South), Rt. Hon. Chikwendu Kalu; Obinna Ichita, Aba South; Aron Uzodike; Thomas Nkoro; and Okey Igwe (Umunneochi).
The real scores between the two conflicting sides of the House is still unknown. The ruling PDP has been engaged in in-house debates since its abysmal performance at the just-concluded elections where it lost to the Labour Party (LP).
Some chieftains of the party have been critical of the governor who they accused of causing the fate of the party.
