7-Month After Appeal judgement, Abia Speakers Refusal to Inaugurate Lawmaker-Elect is a Brutal Assu

http://www.evergreenreporter.com.ngAbia Speaker’s Refusal to Inaugurate Lawmaker-Elect 7 Months after Appeal Court Victory is a Brutal Assault on Democracy

The deliberate refusal of the Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Emmanuel Emeruwa, to swear in Hon. Aaron Uzodike of PDP, the Lawmaker-Elect for Aba North State Constituency, seven months after the Appeal Court, the final arbiter on legislative electoral matters had declared him winner, is the height of a mindless attack on our collective sensibilities as a people and a brutal assault on democracy. The action portends a grave danger to the Rule of Law, and is another confirmation of the egregious abuse of our revered judiciary, democratic institutions and norms by leaders, members and agents of the Labour Party in Abia State.

Recall that the Appeal Court as the final arbiter on electoral matters at the level of the legislature had in November 2023 declared Hon. Aaron Uzodike of the PDP as the rightful winner of the Aba North State Constituency election over Labour Party’s Destiny Nwagwu. But after being duly issued a certificate of return by INEC on December 13, 2023 following the Appeal Court verdict, Uzodike submitted all his documents to the Speaker, including the certificate of return, a certified true copy of the court judgment, and a letter from INEC affirming that a certificate of return was issued to him, the usual processes preceding the inauguration of a lawmaker, the Speaker, who once cited “an order from above”, has flagrantly disregarded the court verdict by refusing to swear in Uzodike simply because he is not of the same party with them. This is how a latter day party like the Labour Party that does not know what it took for legacy parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and the Alliance for Democracy (AD), to fight for the establishment of democracy in the country, is eroding the rule of law and destroying our democracy.

We are very much aware that Alex Otti’s underhand tactics are what is promoting this legislative rascality by the Speaker. This level of brashness against democracy by a Speaker has never been witnessed in Abia State.

It is the first time in our 25 years of unbroken 4th Republic democratic dispensation that a leader of any legislative house would be holding a constituency to ransom by refusing to swear in its lawfully elected representative, whether at the state or federal level.

I find it not only gravely concerning but also grossly disturbing that such brazen mischief is coming from a Labour Party Speaker whose party, just a little over a year ago, vigorously campaigned on promoting the ideals of democracy. Alas, their campaign promises and ideals have turned out to be a mere farce concocted to hoodwink unsuspecting electorate just for the sake of power.

With such refusal to swear in Hon. Aaron Uzodike, the Speaker runs the risk of causing a breakdown of law and order in Abia State because peace has always been a byproduct of justice.

Aba North constituents in particular and Abians of goodwill in general must not take to the streets to peacefully but forcefully demand that the right thing be done before it is done. People of Aba North State Constituency deserve a quality representation in the Abia State House of Assembly.

I hereby add my voice to the calls on all the relevant security agencies in the state including the police, the military, the DSS etc, to be proactive in their difficult but greatly cherished task of preventing political crisis in Abia by using all necessary instruments of state to compel the governor, Alex Otti, and the Speaker, Emmanuel Emeruwa, to act in accordance with the rule of law and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which they swore to uphold or be ready for the natural consequences within the scope of the law. Nobody in the state can claim to be more Abian than the other.

This ongoing brutal assault on our democracy and democratic institutions by Labour Party leaders in our dear state can not be allowed to fester beyond this point!

It is always better to make hay while the sun shines!

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