PDP Legal Adviser Faults The Impeachment/Removal Of Rt. Hon. Uchendu As The Deputy Speaker Of Abia House Of Assembly.
★ Says, “Illegality Upon Illegality Breeds Anarchy”.
The South East Zonal Legal Adviser of the People’s Democracy Party (PDP), Barr. Ukpai Ukairo has added his voice to the ongoing leadership tussle at the Abia State House of Assembly.
In a release made available by the legal luminary to the Press, he explained that the purported removal of the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Uchendu by the “House of Assembly” presided over by Rt. Hon Engr. Chinedum Orji is an exercise in futility and a further descent to anarchy.
Read his full text below;
“Peoples Democratic Party (South East Zone)
Office Of The Zonal Legal Adviser
*PRESS RELEASE* Stop The Descent To Anarchy As Illegality Upon Illegality Breed Anarchy.
Once more, it has become imperative, for me, to raise a red flag on developments of quick succession in the Abia state House of Assembly: this time on the bizzare proceedings of the house leading to the removal of the Rt. Hon. Deputy Speaker, Hon Ifeanyi Uchendu, his suspension from the house, and the swearing in of Hon. Mandela Obasi as the new Deputy Speaker.
From reports in electronic and print media, the Abia State House of Assembly purportedly removed the said Deputy Speaker, suspended him, and swore in Hon. Mandela Obasi as the new Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly.
House sat without a quorum as prescribed by the 1999 constitution and hastily passed penal resolutions against the Rt. Hon Ifeanyi Uchendu, without affording him the right to fair hearing as guaranteed by the 1999 constitution.
It needs to be stressed, for the umpteenth time, that the beauty of democracy lies in strict adherence to the democratic practices enshrined in the constitution. The House of Assembly of Abia State is a creation of section 90 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The same constitution makes adequate provisions on its composition, quorum, languages, voting and sittings.
It is now well established, as to require no repetition, that any sittings of the House of Assembly in breach of the constitution is a nullity and all resolutions passed legally unsustainable. It is against this background that one can safely state that the purported removal of the Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Uchendu by the “House of Assembly” presided over by Rt. Hon Engr. Chinedum Orji is an exercise in futility and a further descent to anarchy. Indeed, just as the purported removal of the Rt. Hon Speaker in a proceedings held outside the House of Assembly is a nullity so is purported removal of the Deputy Speaker without a quorum another gross illegality. Indeed, the later act of the Rt. Hon. Speaker is more despicable being, completely, a malice-driven desecration of the hallowed Chambers of the House of Assembly.
Without equivocation, the Honourable members, and the Speaker, who sat in the chambers of the House of Assembly on that day, and purported to have removed and suspended the Deputy Speaker, lacked the powers to waive statutory provisions of the constitution that regulate the sittings of the House. Accordingly, no attempt should be made , based solely on the resolutions of that day, to deny the Rt. Hon. Deputy Speaker, Hon Ifeanyi Uchendu, Speaker, his rightful status in the scheme of things. In the same breath Hon Mandela Obasi is advised not to wear the garb of the Deputy Speaker as to do so will amount to aiding and abetting illegality.
Finally, let it be stressed again, that the Peoples Democratic Party was wrought in the crucible of the battle for enthronement of democracy in Nigeria. Accordingly, it has the capacity to weather democratic storms thrown up by contending interests under its umbrella. It is therefore, opposite to, once more, urge for an immediate sheathing of the sword and an end to the drum beat in this dance of the naked. So far, the timely intervention of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu(PHD) is commendable, being a demonstration of statecraft. It is the hope of all that it will yield the desired political solution without allowing any of the gladiators to take benefit of the diverse acts of illegality upon illegality which only breed anarchy.
Dated 4th of May, 2023.
UKPAI UKAIRO ESQ
(ZONAL LEGAL ADVISER, PDP
SOUTH EAST)
