A former Minority Leader in Abia State 7th House of Assembly, Hon. Chijioke Chukwu has described the emergence of Labour Party’s Uchenna Okoro representing Arochukwu State Constituency as Majority Leader of Abia State House of Assembly as absurd and undemocratic.
He emerged the Majority Leader despite PDP constituting majority in the Assembly.
His election came after the members representing Osisioma Ngwa North and South State constituency, Hon. Iheanacho Nwaogu and Hon.Ahuama Fyne respectively, both of Young Progressives Party (YPP) as well as Hon. Bar. Akaliro Anderson of All progressives congress( APC) aligned with the ten (10) members of the Labour Party to form the required majority in the House.
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Reacting to the development in a chat with ABN TV on Saturday, Hon. Chukwu who represented Bende North State Constituency in the 7th Assembly said the move violates all democratic norms and should be condemned.
He further said it’s illegal and unthinkable, expressing concern that the 8th Assembly will descend into anarchy in no distant time.
“The position of the Majority Leader is not a position for elected legislators to deliberate on or to cast their vote for, or align for. The majority or minority leader’s office in the Assembly is an exclusive reserve of different parties that make up the Assembly.
“The Assembly either in plenary or Committee on the Whole has no right to vote for who becomes the Majority or Minority Leader. It is the exclusive right of the individual parties that make up the Assembly.
“For instance in Abia House of Assembly, the PDP controls the majority, it is the PDP that should write to the Speaker of the Assembly, nominating who their Majority Leader would be”, he stated.
The former lawmaker said none of the parties in the Assembly has the right to contribute or vote for who becomes the Majority Leader.
He insists that the right of YPP and APC lawmakers are only limited to the nomination of the Minority Leader.
According to him, the Labour Party which is in Minority ought to align with other minority parties to produce their leader, noting that the PDP clearly in majority decides the leader of majority of the Assembly.
He said the person holding the office of the Majority Leader despite being a member of a minority party is not recognized by the law either by the House rule or the constitution.
He said the action shows lack of democratic tenets and poor leadership, taking a swipe at the Speaker for allowing that to happen.
He said those who participated in the process desecrated the temple of the legislature, saying he is embarrassed at what happened as a former legislator.
