Count Me Out Of Abia Assembly Crisis, Says Hon. Erondu Jr

A House of Assembly member-elect, Abia State House of Assembly, Obingwa West State Constituency, Erondu Uchenna Erondu Jr has denied involvement in the crisis rocking the state legislative House, saying he has no hand in it.

He said he is not yet a member of the Assembly and couldn’t have instigated the crisis.

In a statement on Thursday, Erondu said the allegation that he provided finances to effect leadership change is unfounded, urging Abians to ignore such.

Some members of the Assembly on Tuesday announced the impeachment of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji, accusing him of pocketing the Assembly for years.

The deputy speaker, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Uchendu who has been suspended and removed from office accused the Speaker of eating his (Uchendu) entitlement for 12 months.

He said, “It is self- evident that I am not yet a member of the Abia State House of Assembly.I am therefore at a loss as to how I would have galvanised the 16 members who participated in the May 2, 2023 Sitting of the House when I am not yet their colleague.

“At no point did I give any Legislator of the present 7th Assembly any money to effect the change of speakership of the Abia House of Assembly.

“At no point did I engage anyone to obtain on my behalf the buy-in of members of the 7th Assembly which i am not a member, for the speakership position of the 8th Assembly as these rumours seem to suggest.”

The incoming Assembly member expressed shock that his name is being associated with the internal wrangling in the House, stating that he is not in any way connected to the day to day activities of the House and cannot possibly be a beneficiary of the outcome of the crisis in whatever way

He said his trauders are the ones peddling such malicious accusations against him in a desperate effort to soil his hard earned image.

“It is clear that these malicious allegations cum rumour are part of a surreptitious strategy being orchestrated by my traducers who are intent on soiling my good image and by implication that of this government which I have served creditably. I therefore wish to plead that these unfounded and malicious allegations should stop forthwith as it will not serve any useful purpose.

” I advise the idle minds manufacturing these lies and rumours and seeking to drag my name down to look for a meaningful venture to engage their brains rather than this reckless path of character assassination which CAN NEVER BE THE EXCLUSIVE PRESERVE OF ANY PERSON OR GROUP OF PERSONS“, he concluded.