Lawmaker Chides Ebonyi sacked speaker, 15 others over abuse of law
By Chinwe Imo-Eze Onwosi
The Member representing Ebonyi North West constituency in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Aleke Umoke, Thursday, cautioned the embattled speaker Francis Nwifuru and 15 others to stop parading themselves as members of the House following their sack by the federal High court in Abuja, on March 8th, 2022.
Aleke stated that the sacked lawmakers invasion of the assembly complex to illegally and unconstitutional declare the seats of three 3 PDP lawmakers vacant was an abuse of the rule of law, and contempt of court which is tantamount to arrest.
The lawmaker called on the general public to disregard the news that he and two other People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Ebonyi State House of Assembly members resigned their elected position and their seats declared vacant as he further called on members of their constituents to remain calm and peaceful as the court pronouncement that sacked the 16 Ebonyi State House of Assembly members still stands until they get stay of execution order or favourable judgement from the appellate court.
Victor Aleke made this known in a statement signed and made available to The Voice in Abakaliki.
The statement reads in parts: “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 16 sixteen other lawmakers for defecting from the party on whose platform they were elected.
“As lawmakers, 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’s 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.
“The good people of Ebonyi State and Nigerians should disregard such information as it holds no water and it cannot stand. As I urge all constituents of these lawmakers whose seats were purported declared vacant to remain calm and peaceful as the court pronouncement that sacked the 16 Ebonyi State House of Assembly members still stands until they get stay of execution or get favourable judgement from the appellate court”. he stated
He revealed that following the sack of other lawmakers, only “Chris Usulor, Victor Aleke, Chidi Ejem, Engr Humphrey Nwuruku,, Dr Oliver Osi, Mrs Franca Okpo, Okechukwu Ali, and Mrs Lilian Ngozi Eziulo are the members of the state house of Assembly until court of competent jurisdiction says otherwise or fresh elections conducted within 90days according the federal high court judgement delivered by Justice Inyana Ekwo Declaratory Judgment on 8th March 2022”
