Ebonyi State House of Assembly
Despite sack, Ebonyi Speaker, 14 APC lawmakers hold plenary, declare three more PDP lawmakers’ seats vacant
[From CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki]
Despite the court judgement that sacked him and 15 others from the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, the Speaker, Hon Francis Nwifuru, Tuesday, held plenary and declared vacant, the seats of three more Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers.
The lawmakers whose seats were declared vacant, are: Hon Victor Aleke, Hon Mrs Franca Okpo and Hon Okechukwu Ali.
Only the rulig All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers attended the well coordinated Tuesday’s plenary.
Recall that a Federal High Court presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo, on March 8, 2022, declared vacant, Speaker Nwifuru’s seat and that of 15 other legislators for defecting to the APC from the PDP.
Prior to Court judgement, the Speaker and the 14 APC lawmakers had in a plenary, declared vacant, the seat of the deputy Speaker of the House, Odefa Obasi Ofeda and elected Kingsley Ikoro as his replacement.
The House in another plenary presided over by the newly elected deputy Speaker, declared vacant, two more Lawmakers of the PDP, namely; Hon Oliver Osi and Hon Ngozi Eziulo.
This, happened within two days; a development that heightened tension in the state’s polity.
But the three sacked lawmakers approached the Federal High Court, Abuja, which reversed the decision of the House and ordered their reinstatement.
The Speaker and the 14 APC lawmakers had, last week, while reacting to the court judgment which sacked them, said they were dissatisfied with the judgement and had filed an appeal and stay of execution against it.
But as of the time of filing this report on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, it was not certain whether the Speaker and the 14 APC lawmakers had got a stay of execution of the judgment that sacked them from the House.
