The political tension in Ebonyi State heightened on Monday following the purported removal of the deputy speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Odefa Obasi Odefa.
Rt. Hon. Odefa’s seat was declared vacant by the House following his alleged resignation as a member of the House of Assembly.
Other members who were said to have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the All Progressive Congress, APC, during plenary were Mr Oliver Osi, representing Ivo State Constituency and Mrs Ngozi Ezilo representing Afikpo North East constituency as their letters were read on the floor of the House of Assembly.
According to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru, the duo also resigned their membership of the State House of Assembly.
But in their successive reactions, the embattled Deputy Speaker who insisted that he remains the Deputy Speaker of the House described the action of the House as “Monkey Child’s Play.”
“Why will I resign? It’s a monkey child’s place. It is only going to be by Recall. I have not participated in any Congress organized by APC. I didn’t resign.
“I do not belong to the APC. If you represent your people, it’s your people that will decide. No man is God. The House realized that they do not have 2/3 majority to effect my impeachment and that’s why they alleged that I resigned. That’s what happened. Why will I resign? Is it that am mentally deranged?
“Did INEC give any other member a certificate of return? It’s now a legal issue. They plan to kill me. They are planning blood she’d. They cannot kill me because they didn’t create me. I chose to be in PDP
“I have been threatened that I will be kidnapped and not be seen. Everything has to be by the law. Nobody’s life is worth any political position. They lack the power to forge a letter and read it on the floor of the House. I remained the Deputy Speaker of the Ebonyi Assembly. I have written to security agencies over the threat I received after the news of my press conference went viral.”
Also, the affected lawmakers, Mr. Oliver Osi and Ngozi Ezilo refuted the claim by the House, stressing that they never resigned both from PDP and from the House of Assembly.
Osi said: “Are my daydreaming to resign? It’s not normal. They have denied me my entitlements. My official car and what is meant for my constituents have been denied me. If I am to ever resign from PDP, I have to read the letter by myself and the house will vote in that regard. This is desperation. This is a kind of madness.”
During the plenary, Mr Kingsley Ikoro, representing Afikpo North West constituency was nominated and sworn in as the new Deputy Speaker of the House.
Ebonyi Assembly is made up of 15 Lawmakers from the All Progressive Congress, APC, while 9 Lawmakers are of the PDP.
[Vanguard]
