Abia Assembly Member-elect Pleads With Gov Otti, Speaker To Inaugurate Him

Peoples Democratic Party member-elect for Aba North constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Aaron Uzordike has appealed to Governor Alex Otti to prevail on the speaker of the Assembly to comply with the Appeal Court judgement and inaugurate him.

Uzordike made the plea yesterday while speaking with newsmen in Umuahia, the state capital, saying the speaker, Emmanuel Emereuwa had told him that the order to decline the inauguration was from above.

He noted that the governor, whose own victory was also validated by the Supreme Court, should avail him his own privileges.

The lawmaker said the refusal to inaugurate him was “after the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos on November 27, 2023 validated my victory in the March 18 House of Assembly Election against the Labour Party candidate, Destiny Nwagwu.

“The court also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to withdraw the certificate of return it issued to Nwagwu and to issue me with a fresh one as the member-elect for the constituency.

“Emereuwa told me about the order when I reported for inauguration on January 18, 2024 in response to his earlier invitation after I submitted my certificate of return to the clerk of the House on November 14, 2023,” he said.

The immediate past member of the House for the constituency said other documents he submitted were certified true copy of the judgement, a letter from the commission informing the clerk he had been issued with the certificate and another invalidating the election of Nwagwu.

“I did that with the expectation that the speaker will do the needful by inaugurating me as is being done in other state and national assemblies following such court decisions, but up till today, he is yet to,” he added.

He denied suggestions that the decline followed his refusal to defect to the ruling party after inauguration and that traditional rulers from the constituency had withdrawn their support for him.

Uzordike argued that though a political party is the platform on which a lawmaker is elected, thereafter, the development of the state becomes his or her overriding interest and not the party.