Defection Fear grips Imo speaker, 18 lawmakers

The Federal High Court, Abuja ruling which sacked Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi; his deputy, Eric Kelechi Igwe and 16 lawmakers over their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), has caused apprehension for 19 members of the Imo House of Assembly, who defected in 2020.

The assembly is made up of 27 members. Others have remained on their seats intact. On resumption of duty in January 15, 2020, Governor Hope Uzodimma (of the APC), displaced the then governor, Emeka Ihedioha (from the PDP), following the January 14, 2020 Supreme Court judgment that sacked the latter.

Before then, the State Assembly had predominantly PDP members, with some Action Alliance (AA), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and APC members.

In a related development, the House of Assembly has sworn in Blyden Amajirionwu, who won the Ngor Opkala Constituency by-election.

Clerk of the House administered the oath of office on Amajirionwu in the presence of the Speaker and other members in Owerri. Amajirionwu, who won the by-election on the APC platform on February 26, 2022 was issued his Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), replaced Tochi Okereke, whose seat was declared vacant on account of his failure to attend plenary sessions.

Meanwhile, the 27 member-House of Assembly, presided over by Ibeh, has passed a motion urging institutions of learning to process results of graduating students and statement of results, certificates and transcripts to their deserving students and graduates with delay.

In motion number 215 sponsored by the House Committee Chairman on Education, Dr. Uju Onwudiwe, the lawmakers decried unpleasant reports from graduating students in tertiary institutions and how the delay in processing their results, caused some of them about four years or more after graduation.

Uju, who represents Njaba Constituency, condemned alleged withholding of such documents, describing it as delaying the destinies of the affected students and cautioned the institutions that such delays will henceforth attract sanctions.

(The Guardian)