By Onyekachi Eze
A dangerous development has erupted in the Imo State House of Assembly as the state legislature is now divided into two factions based on party lineage.
After a good start under the leadership of Rt Hon Chiji Collins who was elected under APGA but jumped into PDP before moving into APC, the centre can no longer hold as members now have strong two factions.
The seeming division erupted immediately the former governor of the PDP extraction, Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha was ousted out by the Supreme Court and Hope Uzodinma of the APC was ushered in as the authentic governor.
The lawmakers who won under the APC and APGA platforms massively decamped to the PDP during the 8 months stay of Ihedioha.
The story also changed immediately Uzodinma was announced governor, as APC received over 20 PDP lawmakers, led by Collins Chiji.
Latest information has it that while there is APC bloc, few of the PDP members numbering six, Frank Ugboma, Philip Ejiogu, Tochi Okereke, Okey Onyekanma, Solomon Anukam, and Anyadike Nwosu are on their own.
Trumpeta Newspaper can authoritatively report that the PDP members have been sidelined following their absence on Tuesday’s plenary session, which had the APC members in attendance.
It was gathered that because of the division, the PDP lawmakers were not notified for the Plenary which came when the state is observing a lockdown as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Our correspondent learnt that even when one of the lawmakers, Frank Ugboma who got the hint arrived the complex and saw the Order Paper, he quietly left the complex.
Trumpeta was informed by some of the members that the PDP lawmakers were blacklisted from the Tuesday Plenary because of major decisions that were of great interest to the state governor, an APC member and the party.
Although it was gathered that the PDP lawmakers may not have been officially informed of the last sitting, feelers were of the view that it was a deliberate action by the APC faction so as to have easy resolution in favour of the governor.
In a related development, reports reaching Trumpeta news desk said that the sharing formula for the construction of primary school projects in each of the LGAs had benefitted the APC members only.
While the APC members were said to have been handed five school blocks to map out for reconstruction, the PDP members got only 2 schools thereby heightening the dichotomy.
This disclosure was made public after the message a principal officer of the House was reported to have sent to all the lawmakers.
