Aaron Uzodike, a former member of the Abia State House of Assembly, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the state governor, Alex Otti, to intervene in the delay of his inauguration as the duly elected representative for the Aba North State Constituency.
Uzodike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, asserts that he won re-election in the March 18, 2023, state House of Assembly election for Aba North.
However, despite a Court of Appeal ruling in his favor, his inauguration has been halted.
“On the 27th of November, 2023, the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos nullified the candidacy of the Labour Party candidate, Destiny Nwagwu, for Aba North State Constituency and declared me the rightful winner.
“On the 13th of December, 2023, INEC issued me my Certificate of Returns as mandated by the Court, which I submitted to the state House of Assembly for inauguration,” Uzodike stated.
Despite his efforts, Uzodike alleges that the Speaker of the House, Kingsley Emeruwa, has refused to inaugurate him.
“The Speaker informed me that I would not be inaugurated, and when I asked for the reason, he stated, ‘I have received instructions from above,’” Uzodike revealed.
Despite Nwagwu initiating legal proceedings at the state High Court in Obehie, Ukwa West, to contest Uzodike’s certificate, the case was dismissed on March 19th following four hearings.
“As of today, there is no pending case anywhere, neither in Abia nor in Nigeria, West Africa, or even the whole of Africa or the world, that prevents the Speaker from inaugurating me,” Uzodike emphasized.
Uzodike has formally written to the Speaker, urging his inauguration, and has presented himself to the House, ready to assume his responsibilities.
“As the father of the state and an advocate for the rule of law, I call upon the governor to uphold the rule of law. The Speaker should take appropriate action,” he pleaded.
Appealing to the President, Uzodike stated, “I urge the President to intervene and ensure that appropriate action is taken.”
Uzodike refuted claims of being pressured to join the Labour Party, asserting, “You don’t call a dog with a whip,” and citing existing laws regarding party defection.
Efforts to reach the Speaker were unsuccessful, as his Chief Press Secretary, CPS Oke Ujo, stated that the Speaker was not answering his calls and added, “I cannot provide any statement as I have been unavailable for some time.”
Attempts to contact the Deputy Speaker, Austin Nmeregini, via phone calls and text messages proved futile.
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