What could be described as a political upheaval is about to take place in Imo following reports available to Imo Trumpeta. In line with the newspaper’s Tuesday story where it revealed that hammer would soon fall on three members of the Imo State House of Assembly for defecting to the APGA after they were elected into the House on the platform of PDP, our correspondent who has been monitoring political development in the House of Assembly revealed that there is uneasy calm and tension as the Speaker, Rt Hon Ben Uwajumogu, the Majority Leader, Adaku Ihuoma and the Deputy Majority Leader, Hon Acho Ihim have all lost their positions as elected members of Imo State House of Assembly.
It would be recalled that moments after he was elected the Speaker of the House Speaker, Uwajumogu openly and publicly declared for APGA. The Ihitte-Uboma born politician subsequently notified the House of the decision of other three PDP lawmakers, Acho Ihim (Okigwe) Ihuoma Adaku (Ahiazu Mbaise) and Ugonna Ozuruigbo (Nwangele) to join him in APGA.
The desire of the power-hungry lawmakers made them to shift camp in order to grab principal positions of the House. While Ihuoma got majority leader positive, Ihim and Ozuruigbo were handed Deputy Majority Leader and Chief whip positions respectively.
However, their defection did not go down well with PDP leadership in Imo state who rushed to court to ask INEC to declare their seats vacant based on constitutional provisions and the 2010 Electoral Act contents.
While the matter is still pending in court, Hon Ugonna Ozuruigbo made a volte face about the APGA romance and returned to PDP. While the court is yet to give a final verdict on the matter, Imo Trumpeta learnt that INEC has issued the affected lawmakers letters of vacation, declaring their seats vacant. Competent sources revealed that the Attorney General of the federation reportedly authorized INEC to issue the letter which was served to the affected members of the House on Tuesday.
Indications that the state lawmakers got wind of the development on Tuesday emerged during pre-sitting rehearsals otherwise called Executive Session by members.
At the session, the members received the news with shock prompting them to consider a resolution to ask the President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan to direct INEC to withdraw any letter declaring their seats vacant. A member of APGA said to be enjoying PDP favour of late and who joined PDP lawmakers to Abuja recently. Barr Greg Okemili was mandated to propose and be the Chief Sponsor of the motion.
Apart from adopting the Resolution, the members during the Executive Session agreed to go to court to challenge the attempt to declare Uwajumogu’s seat and that of two others vacant.
However, instead of asking the President to prevail INEC into withdrawing the sack order, Okemili’s motion only passed a vote of implicit confidence on Uwajumogu. The motion went further to indirectly state that the Speaker is still a member of the PDP. The Resolution stated thus; “whereas the synergy has been misconstrued by detractors of this government and Imo people to the extent that some Honourable Members of the House including the Speaker, Uwajumogu, were misrepresented to have defected to the ruling party, APGA which obviously is a mere figment”.
Apparently aware of the hammer, Uwajumogu has not shown face in the House since and failed to preside affairs of the House on Tuesday. Even Ihuoma and Ihim were kept in the dark and remained motionless during and after plenary as they were the only members who absented when the lawmakers addressed South East Zone of NULGE who were on a protest march to the Assembly.
Meanwhile, Uwajumogu’s group has reportedly gone to court to get an injunction retraining INEC from discharging the quit order. As at time of filing in this report it was learnt that they may have secured an injunction from a Federal High Court in Abuja restraining INEC from carrying out the order. The name of the court and Judge could not be ascertained as at press time.
The unfolding drama may have forced the lawmakers to take a long adjournment as the House is expected to resume plenary by February 20, 2013.
Meanwhile, to avoid any unwarranted sanction that may arise due to this decampment to APGA from PDP, the Speaker of the Imo state House of Assembly is reportedly exploring all avenues to retain his membership of the PDP.
In a press statement by the party’s LGA Chairman for Ihitte Uboma, Barr S.I. Azuama and Umuihi Ward Chairman, Mr. George Nkpadobi, the PDP noted that it has become aware of the subtle attempt to cause and force the ward Chairman to sign a document that will lay claim that Uwajumogu is still member of PDP in Umuihi Ward.
The PDP chieftains in Ihitte Uboma raised alarm that they are under intense presume from the Speaker’s camp to ensure that the name of the number one lawmaker in the state remains in PDP book in Umuihi ward.
Reacting on the status of Uwajumogu with regards to PDP membership, Ihitte Uboma Chapter of the party stated thus; “for the avoidance of doubt, the PDP Ihitte/Uboma wish to state, as well as put the record straight that ever since the Speaker decamped to APGA, on the floor of the House on his inaugural day, he has not been officially readmitted back to the party, as he had remained a bonafide member of APGA”.
“To this end therefore, the PDP Ihitte/Uboma wish to disassociate itself from any person brandishing any document claiming and portraying the Speaker as still a member of the party in Ihitte Uboma, after he voluntarily decamped to APGA on the floor of the Imo State House of Assembly and was accordingly ratified by the PDP LGA Executive committee on the 16th day of June, 2011”.
