EBHA Saga: Ebonyi Lawmaker, Victor Aleke Replies Sacked Speaker, 15 Others

By Grace Offor, Abakaliki The member representing Ebonyi North West State Constituency, Hon. Victor Aleke Umoke Thursday debunked the alleged rumour of his resignation from the house and described the action as ab.

The Lawmaker made the clarification known in a statement issued on Thursday 17th March and personally signed by Hon. Victor Aleke noted that, It is on the public domain that on 8 March 2022, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja sacked the Ebonyi State Speaker Mr Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru and fifteen other lawmakers for defecting from the People's Democratic Party on whose platform they were elected to the All Progressives Congress.

Aleke called on the sacked Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru and fifteen other lawmakers of the assembly in a court judgement delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo on 8th March, 2022 to obey the court judgement in other to avoid anarchy in the state. Hon. Aleke also condemned in totality the decision of the sacked lawmakers to forge his resignation letter and further declared his seat vacant as a member of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly is unruly and false.

According to him, "Reactions to the judgement have been overwhelming. Most People found no fault with removing the lawmakers from office because it tallies with the express provisions of the constitution. "The critical objective of this press conference is to draw attention of the general public to the abuse to the rule of law by the sacked members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly. "As a lawmaker, the constitution has left no one in doubt that political parties are most important actors in the nation’s electoral process. To start with, the constitution provides that only aspirants sponsored by political parties can be candidates in an election. "The Sacked Members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly are fully aware of all this constitutional provisions but has decided to embark on acts of forgery and contempt of law by disobeying the Justice Inyang Ekwo Judgement that sacked them from office. The situation is more worrisome when lawmakers who are supposed to uphold the constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria that abuses the law by forging the resignation letters of his fellow lawmakers and declaring their seats.This acts is poised to plug the state into total anarchy. "As a Peaceful Lawmaker, I applaud the judgement of Justice Inyana Ekwo as this court pronouncement will bring sanity in our political system and equally strengthen our democracy. I urge all the sacked members of the state house of Assembly to adhere strictly please to the rule of law. "I hereby inform the general public to disregard the concocted information on the media that I and two other People’s Democratic Party Ebonyi State House of Assembly members resigned our elected position thereby declaring our seats vacant. This actions by the sacked Lawmakers are total abuse to the rule of law and contempt of court judgement which is tantamount to arrest.