Imo State is now in a constitutional and administrative quagmire following problems arising from the impeachment of the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere by the Imo House of Assembly, and the failed attempt to swear-in his replacement, Mr Callistus Ekenze, by the Judiciary.
Meanwhile, Prince Eze Madumere has made it clear that Imo State has no other Deputy Governor except him.
Speaking on phone to Trumpeta Newspaper, an authentic sources close to Madumere said that the Deputy Governor still goes to office because he remains the official Deputy Governor of Imo State until Court decides otherwise.
It would be recalled that the Imo House of Assembly led by Hon Acho Ihim had on Monday impeached the Deputy Governor, with nineteen members out of a total of twenty seven endorsing the exercise.
However, Madumere has ran into trouble waters, when he showed interest to run for the position of Imo State Governor, against the decision of his Boss, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, who preferred, his son inlaw, and his Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu to take over from him in 2019.
As Madumere pursued his ambition against Okorocha’s directives, both men fell out, after over twenty seven years political and business association.
Then suddenly, Imo House of Assembly began impeachment process against Madumere, who ran to court to stop the lawmakers, who later directed the Imo Chief Judge, Justice Paschal Nnadi to constitute a seven man panel to investigate Madumere on the allegations provided by the Legislature.
However, before the seven man panel could conclude its findings, Madumere ran to an Owerri High Court which gave order stopping the panel from investigating Madumere, and called for status quo ante.
But the Imo House of Assembly, which had vacated for a month, suddenly reconvened on Monday, August 30, 2018, immediately after the court stopped the panel from investigating Madumere, and hurriedly impeached Madumere.
The House instantly approved the nomination of Chief Callistus Ekenze, the Head of Service Imo State, as the next Deputy Governor of Imo State.
Incidentally, while Ekenze, who hails from Mbaitoli LGA, as Madumere was waiting to be sworn-in by Gov Okorocha, the Chief Judge of the State, who ought to conduct the swearing –in ceremony appeared at the Event with a court order stopping the event.
Therefore, Ekenze could not be sworn-in as the ceremony was postponed indefinitely.
Meanwhile, the shifted- ceremony has for now stopped Governor Rochas Okorocha from being the first Governor to impeach his Deputy in Imo State history talkless of two, and the first in Nigerian to have three Deputies in Eight years in office.
