Ebonyi State House of Assembly
Protests, as Ebonyi Assembly declares seats of two PDP members vacant
[From CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki]
Seats occupied by two lawmakers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), representing Ivo State Constituency, Dr Oliver Osi and another of Afikpo North East Constituency Mrs Lilian Ngozi Eziulo, have been declared vacant.
The lawmakers’ seats were declared vacant by the Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon Kingsley Ogbonaya Ikoro, who presided during the plenary, on Thursday.
Ikoro citing section 306 sub section 2 &7 of 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended, said that the seats of the two lawmakers were declared vacant for accusing the House of forging their defection letters from the PDP to the APC.
Other House members, including the leader of the House, Hon Victor Uzoma Chukwu, the Deputy leader, Hon Chief Onu Nwonye and the member representing Onicha West Constituency Hon Chukwuma Igwe, who spoke during the plenary, condemned the action of the two lawmakers.
Recall that the House had on Monday declared the seat of Deputy Speaker, Hon Obasi Odefa Obasi, vacant, and elected Ikoro Kingsley as the new deputy Speaker.
The House during the Monday plenary also announced that Hon Osi and Eziulo have defected to the APC from the PDP.
Their defection letters were read by the Speaker, Francis Nwifuru, but the two lawmakers have since denied writing any defection letter to the House, alleging the letters were forged.
