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This is no time for crisis in Abia, Ikpeazu cautions, as leadership war breaks out in House of Assembly
Disturbed by the ugly optics, Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has moved in to stem further hostilities in the state House of Assembly, currently being rocked by an internecine leadership crisis, few weeks to the end of its shelflife.
In a statement signed by his spokesman, Onyebuchi Ememanka, on Tuesday, the governor, described the schism as unnecessary at this time, calling on the leadership and members to the assembly to sheathe their swords and allow a smooth handover of government from him to the new administration.
The statement, said: “The Governor is of the firm view that with barely less than one month to the end of his administration and the ushering of a new administration, it will absolutely make no sense to engage in any issue that is likely to plunge the state into any form of confusion.
“Governor Ikpeazu’s main preoccupation at the moment is how to pilot the ship of state peacefully and steadily into the new administration and tie up all administrative matters including the completion of key projects.
“The Governor, therefore, does not have the luxury of time and resources for any crisis at the moment. Above all, the mood in the state makes any such move inexpedient. Governor Ikpeazu appeals to the Speaker of the State Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji and Members of that hallowed Assembly to maintain the peace and allow reason and patriotism to guide their actions.”
The Assembly had degenerated into crisis over the alleged election of a new speaker to replace, Orji son of former Governor of the state, Theodore Orji, now a Senator, who had been in charge of the legislature since the commencement of Ikpeazu’s tenure.
Vanguard reports that A faction of the House had in a sitting on Tuesday, presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Ifeanyi Uchendu, “impeached” Orji and elected Chukwudi Apugo who represents Umuahia East constituency, as the new speaker, following a motion moved by Kennedy Njoku, and seconded by Chijioke Chukwu, accusing the embattled Speaker of insensitivity to the welfare of the members, among sundry offences.
His words: “I want to move a motion considering the present situation in the House of Assembly and the feelings of members towards the speaker of the 7th House, Engr. Chinedum Orji, of his insensitivity to the welfare of members and other sundry activities. It is clear to us that all these have led to gross misconduct on the office of the speaker. Hence, I move a motion for the removal of the speaker.”
Two hours after Apugo’s emergence, Orji stormed the Assembly complex and commenced sitting with his loyalists and suspended nine members including the new Speaker, while electing Mandela Obasi as the new Deputy Speaker and Emeka Okoroafor as the new minority Leader.
Those suspended include Deputy Speaker, Ifeanyi Uchendu, and former Speaker, Chikwendu Kalu, another former Speaker, Kennedy Njoku, Minority Leader, Chijioke Chukwu, Obinna Ichita, Okey Igwe, Thomas Nkoro and Aaron Uzodike.
Condemning the action of suspended members, Majority Leader of the Assembly, Solomon Akpulonu had said they lacked the required number to impeach the Speaker and could not carry out an impeachment in a private building.
He said: “You can’t impeach a speaker from the comfort of your home. If the speaker had committed any offence, the process of impeachment must be followed. But they went to a private building,the clerk of the House wasn’t present, they didn’t bring any motion to the House to consider ,they didn’t have the required two thirds majority to impeach the Speaker. Some of the signatures of members were forged. This was a joke taken too far and we won’t condone it.”
The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi says he is aware of some evil designs against himself and his supporters in the coming months.
The former Anambra State governor disclosed this in a statement released on his verified Twitter handle on Monday, May 29, 2023.
The release of the statement coincided with the inauguration of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as Nigeria’s President at the Eagle Square in Abuja.
I am aware of some evil designs being hatched against me and my supporters in the coming months. Efforts will be made to taint my image. Campaigns of calumny are being perfected to defame my character and diminish my hard-earned integrity.
— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) May 28, 2023
See full statement:
For all Nigerians, this is a time for deep reflection. It is also a time to re-examine our assumptions, even as we reaffirm our hopes. Let us calmly review our aspirations, in order to recalibrate our expectations and pin down the causes of our missed opportunities and disappointments.
We stand at that critical moment in time when, as a people, we must collectively come to grips with the reality of our injured destiny as well as the reasons for that injury. It is for us to reassess our plight as a young democracy and identify clear pathways to a better and greater future for us all. As we await the verdict of the election tribunal, I urge all Nigerians to use this opportunity to renew their commitment to the Nigerian ideal. That ideal remains noble and worth every sacrifice we can make.
Nigeria remains our only patrimony and it is a patrimony we must protect, rather than violate. We have no other nation but this, so let us remain committed to rescuing and rebuilding it.
The judiciary is part of the democratic enterprise and a critical governance tool for determining the propriety of the decisions and actions of every citizen and every institution of state. To that extent, and for that reason, I urge everyone to treat it with the respect and dignity it deserves.
We expect that the Nigerian judiciary will use the election cases now before it to reaffirm its independence and integrity. It has to do so, for all our sakes and for itself.
Nigerians must, therefore, remain peaceful and law abiding. No matter the depth of anyone’s reservations about what is going on in the polity today, no matter the real and imagined provocations, and no matter the disagreement out there, we should remember that this will not last forever.
I remain committed, and untiring, in my determination to work with like-minded fellow Nigerians to end the curse of missed opportunities and squandered hope that has become our lot here.
I will never shrink from that original commitment, because I firmly believe that we must change from the present politics of criminality, and corruption, in order to make a new Nigeria possible.
I call on fellow Nigerians, especially the youths to remain steadfast, calm, patient, and peaceful. Our journey may be long and difficult but it is worth it in every way. Victory is assured.
We have to work together to move our beautiful country from corruption and criminality to a center of productivity rather than aimless consumption.
I am aware of some evil designs being hatched against me and my supporters in the coming months. Efforts will be made to taint my image. Campaigns of calumny are being perfected to defame my character and diminish my hard-earned integrity.
These schemes will aim at degrading our support base and confusing the public. But, no evil campaign will alter the substance of my character; nor diminish my patriotic commitment to a better Nigeria. It is about the future of our youths. it is about ending the Years of Locust.
In all of this, I thank Nigerians, our great party (LP) and the media. The latter, as the Fourth Estate of the realm, has remained a trusted ally.
This Estate must continue to guide our people on the immense promise of a future in a new Nigeria.
God bless Nigeria and protect the troops keeping us safe in this season of vaulting insecurity.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria. –PO
Channels
James Faleke, lawmaker and Secretary of the now defunct All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC), has revealed that President Bola Tinubu would unveil members of his cabinet within 60 days.
Channels Television, which quoted him as saying on Monday, at the inauguration of of Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as president and vice-president of Nigeria was underway at the Eagle Square in Abuja, said the President, would , unveil his cabinet as soon as possible.
Faleke, who promised that the new President would bring a different approach to power, was quoted as saying: “Of course, within 60 days, that’s what the law says. He can announce anytime but I just know he must do it within 60 days.”
Eradication of terrorism, waging war against corruption and battling the crippling poverty in Nigeria, would form the fulcrum of a new Nigeria President Bola Tinubu, says he would strive to put in place as his new government began hours ago after assuming the reins of power as the 16th President, after Muhammadu Buhari handed over to him at an elaborate ceremony at the Eagle Square, Abuja, on Monday.
Vowing to defend Nigeria from all forms of terror, as well as end extreme poverty in the country, Tinubu, told Nigerians: “I will do that through job creation and food security and end to extreme poverty. I will ensure that corruption is tacked by strenghtening anti-corruption agencies.”
He also promised that his administration would discourage corruption through the introduction of a credit culture, stating: “Our government will continue to take proactive steps such as championing a credit culture to discourage corruption while strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of the various anti-corruption agencies.”
It was also on a day the President, who had during his presidential campaigns, promised Nigerians that he would remove subsidy on petroleum products, made good his words by announcing suspension on them, adding that the era of payments on fuel was gone, as the 2023 Budget made no provision for fuel subsidy “and more so, subsidy payment is no longer justifiable.”
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In the military, INEC boss and his team would be executed – Bode George *Why put Tinubu’s boy in charge of IT?
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