Abia PDP Lawmakers Serve House Legal Pre-action Notice

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in the Abia State House of Assembly have served the House a three-months legal pre-action notice to protest its claim of having been denied offices as the majority in the House.

Speaker of the 24-member 8th Assembly, Emmanuel Emeruwa, had penultimate Friday announced the appointment of Uchenna Okoro of Labour Party (LP) which has 10 members as the majority leaders.

Other LP appointments were Destiny Akaraka and Emeka Obioma as the deputy majority leader and chief whip respectively as well Iheanacho Wogu of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) as the deputy chief whip.

In a letter signed by Igwe Ogwo as their counsel addressed to the clerk of the House which was sighted by LEADERSHIP Sunday in Umuahia, the state capital, the 11 legislators faulted the appointment in its entirety.

They said their party by being in the majority by 11 members against LP, YPP and All Progressives Congress (APC)’s 10, two and one respectively should be allowed to nominate the officers.

The letter said the appointment was in breach and violation Order 8, Rule 42(1), 43(1), and 45(1) of the Harmonized Standing Orders (Rules of the Abia State House of Assembly) and “an affront to our democratic tenets, spirit and the law”.

They further maintained that failure, refusal or neglect to comply with the notice, they would be left with no alternative than to approach the court to interpret provisions.

Recall that penultimate Saturday, LEADERSHIP Weekend had reported that the 8th Assembly had adjourned the previous day amidst rift following the announcement of the remaining principal officers by the speaker.

Last Monday, during plenary, the aggrieved legislators led by Solomon Akpulonu, a ranking member, staged a walk out in continuation of the protest even as commissioner-nominees were being screened.