As uncertainty continues to becloud the re-run election to elect the member who represents Oguta state constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly, lawmakers of the state legislature have jettisoned plots by the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, led government in the state to induce them into swearing-in the party’s candidate, Walter Uzonwanne.
Following the inconclusive Oguta re-run election and Governor Okorocha’s public claim that APGA candidate won the election and he be declared winner by INEC, there were alleged subterranean moves from Government House quarters to swear-in the Uzonwanne. The unconfirmed report reached a crescendo when another major contender in the contest, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, raised alarm about the plan to illegally swear-in the APGA candidate using the instrument of the House.
In a recent statement by PDP spokesman in the state, Chief Blyden Amajirionwu, the party stated that “PDP feels duty bound to alert the good people of Imo state and indeed the whole Nation that the APGA led government in Imo state has concluded plans to commit yet another illegality by causing the Imo State House of Assembly to swear-in their candidate in the inconclusive Oguta state constituency election on Tuesday 9th July, 2013.
Trumpeta however learnt that PDP is not merely crying wolf over the matter as there was a reported meeting between some members of the state legislature and top executive council members of the state government at the Government House, Owerri.
The meeting which was reportedly hatched by the State Governor was attended by the House leaders and few members sympathetic to APGA in the state. Even as the details of the meeting was not made public, there were indications that the Imo Assembly members rejected the proposal adding that the action is in contract to acceptable democracy norms and laws of the land.
It was learnt that despite a promised largesse to affect the swearing-in, the members vehemently rejected it as it contravenes process needed for swearing-in of an elected member which involves possession of duly certified INEC Certification of Return.
Another factor that forced the lawmakers to back out is the national attention the botched election has attracted as any further action by the Assembly members when the umpire has not declared a winner would portray the state lawmakers in bad light.
The reported meeting ended in a deadlock with no meaningful resolution between the Exco members and lawmakers for the rumoured swearing-in.
Efforts to speak with some affected House members on the issue proved abortive as none was wiling to comment on the unconfirmed reports.
In a related development, Uzonwanne has withdrawn a suit filed at the Federal High Court, Owerri, and requesting INEC to issue him Certificate of Return and for the State Assembly to swear him in immediately.
Confirming the development to Trumpeta, a close ally to the APGA candidate (names withheld) stated that they were disenchanted with the actions of INEC which made them to go to court.
“But feeling that APGA would win the State Assembly election any day, we have withdrawn the suit today (yesterday) and now requesting INEC to conduct the remaining election immediately” the source added.
