Apparently worried by latest developments in Ebonyi and Cross River States legislative arm where majority of the lawmakers who left their parties to APC were sacked, those involved in the same defection from Imo are reported to be seeking survival means to escape the hammer.
A fortnight ago, it was the turn of 17 members of Ebonyi State House of Assembly while 20 others from Cross River State legislature followed suit.
Fear which gripped those of Imo State House of Assembly heightened during the week when a group file to revive earlier cases instituted against present and former speakers including 15 others.
According to reports available to Trumpeta;
The suit was filed by representatives of Legal Defence and Assistance Project, Chijioke Nwachukwu, Chibuzo Ekene and Mmerole Modestus (the plaintiffs) against the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Clerk of the House, Independent National Electoral Commission, Attorney General of the Federation, Hon Collins Chiji, Hon. Amarachi Chyna Iwuanyanwu, Uju Onwudiwe and 15 others.
The No. FHC/Ow/27/2020 filed by their counsel, Nath Epele and Co., the plaintiffs asked the Federal High Court sitting in Owerri to declare the seat of the defendants vacant by virtue of the fact that they defected from the party that elected them into another party.
The defection train in Imo House started when former Speaker, Collins Chiji representing Isiala Mbano left his former party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) under whose platform he got to the House and defected to PDP which won the 2019 governorship election in the state in order to grab the Speakership. When Emeka Ihedioha was removed by Supreme Court for Hope Uzodinma of APC, Chiji, along with other members who had declared for PDP moved to the APC to retain his position.
Chiji and majority leader, Hon. Chigozie Nwaneri, announced their defection on the floor of the House, while others wrote letters of defection.
Others who were elected under the Action Alliance (AA) and APGA also dumped the party and joined the APC.
The list of the members who defected include: Chyna Amara Iwuanyanwu (Nwangele LGA); Innocent Egwim (Ideato North LGA); Chidiebere Ogbunikpa (Okigwe LGA); Obinna Okwara (Nkwerre LGA); Paul Emeziem (Onuimo LGA); Ekene Nnodim (Orsu LGA); Duru Johnson (Ideato South LGA); Ngozi Obiefule (Isu) and Herculus Okoro (Ohaji-Egbema) and the minority leader, Ekene Nnodumele (APGA Orsu).
The defection spree couldn’t end with Eddy Obinna (Aboh Mbaise), Samuel Otibe (Ahiazu Mbaise) and Uche Ogbagu (Ikeduru) all of PDP defecting to APC .
But the leadership has changed which saw Rt Hon Kennedy Ibeh as the current Speaker.
Though, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit, but this newspaper was informed that the members who had ignored the initial Ebonyi case are not resting again when the Cross River case was delivered.
The revival of the case by a group has sent shivers down the spines of the lawmakers who have started making move to evade sack.
A source in the House of Assembly told Trumpeta that revival of the case is worrying those affected. “I can tell you that our lawmakers who defected are no longer comfortable since this matter commenced. Their worries are worsened by the revival of the matter by a group” the source offered.
When contacted, one of the lawmakers who chose to speak in confidence informed that they are to receive any notice to the revival of the case.
The affected lawmaker offered, “am yet to know about this resumption of case. I have not been personally served, so I can’t speak on it. But mind you, I won’t keep quiet. There must be a means to survive the matter, the member added.
Reliable sources informed the newspaper that apart from making some private reach out, the attention of the governor has been drawn to the fresh plot to kick out the defected members while leadership of the parties involved will also be met on perhaps proper settlement.
It was also learnt that some well meaning personalities who do not want political crisis to disrupt the administration of Governor Hope Uzodinma will also delve into the matter to ensure nothing happens to the affected members.
A source close to the leadership of the House however claimed that there might not be no truth in the whole revival of the case as no date and responses of the case has been brought to the knowledge of the affected lawmakers of Imo Assembly.
