Crisis Brews In Abia Assembly As Speaker Suspends Plenary Abruptly

Crisis in Abia State House of Assembly over the emergence of principal officers in the PDP-dominated Assembly is gradually taking a new twist as the Speaker, LP’s Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa on Tuesday suspended plenary session abruptly.

Despite its majority, PDP was stopped from producing the majority leader of the Assembly, a position held by Labour Party’s Hon. Uchenna Okoro, representing Arochukwu State Constituency.

Trouble started when the Speaker recognized Hon. Okoro as the majority leader of the House, an act which was disputed by the members of the Peoples Democratic Party.

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Hon. Solomon Akpulonu, the member representing Obingwa East State Constituency raised a point of order and stated that the 8th Assembly does not have a majority leader and urged the Speaker to read a letter written to the House by the leadership of the PDP.

It was gathered that all the members of the PDP stood up and urged the Speaker to read the letter but in a swift turn, the Speaker stated that nobody will tell him how to run the State Assembly and promptly ended the session.

The 8th Assembly has been at loggerheads after the sidelining of the constitution of the Assembly which states that only high-ranking members of the Assembly are eligible for speakership, a rule which was set aside for the emergence of the Speaker who is a first-time member of the House.

PDP has eleven members, Labour Party ten members, YPP two members, and one APC member.

Rule of the House makes it possible for the Principal officers, including Majority Leader, deputy majority leader, Chief whip, and deputy Chief Whip to emerge from the party with the highest number of members.