It was a battle of wits in Enugu State on Monday as Governor Sullivan Chime and Speaker of the House of Assembly, Eugene Odo, fired each other impeachment notices.
A 15-member faction of the Assembly led by Odo commenced the impeachment process against Chime, alleging financial misconduct.
But in a counter move, Chime mobilised some of his loyalists in the House against Odo.
To them, the speaker had been impeached so, he has no power to file impeachment notice against the governor.
However, Odo alleged that the governor gave each of the few ‘disloyal’ lawmakers N2 million to sack him “because we have refused to endorse his move to collect N11 billion loan in the twilight of his tenure”.
Majority of the members loyal to Odo, who sat in the early hours of Monday in the legislative chambers amidst tight security, alleged that the governor manipulated the 2014 Appropriation Bill, among other impeachable offences.
They directed the Clerk, Mr Christopher Chukwurah, to communicate their resolution to the governor.
The faction entered the premises through the small gate as they parked their vehicles by the roadside.
Meanwhile, the eight-man faction loyal to Chime, which elected a new speaker, Mr Chinedu Nwamba (PDP-Nsukka East) and a new leader, Mr Donatus Uzogbado (PDP-Oji-River), suspended Odo and seven others.
Those suspended include Chief John Anichukwu (PP-Nkanu East); the Chief Whip, Mrs Theresa Egbo (PDP-Enugu South Rural); the Leader, Mr Sunday Ude-Okoye (PDP-Awgu North); and Mr Okey Nwoke (PDP-Igboetiti West).
Others are Mr Paul Ogbe (PDP-Enugu Soth Urban), Mrs Chika Ene (PDP-Udi South) and Nze Micheal Onyeze.
During their session in the same chambers, the Nwamba-led group recalled the member representing Udi North constituency, Mr Johnbull Nwagu, who was unanimously suspended two weeks ago for making unguarded utterances.
The group reversed an earlier motion that froze the accounts of the state Basic Education Board as well as the directive that the Universal Basic Education Commission should stop further transactions with its Chairman, Ms Nneka Onuorah.
The group described their initial motion as `legislative recklessness’ as they are lawmakers and not law breakers.
“The House do hereby move that the freezing of the accounts of ESUBEB was erroneously done and of no consequence. This motion supersedes the earlier motion by the entire house,’’ the lawmakers said.
Seconding the motion, Dr Emeka Ogbuabor (PDP-Isi Uzor) noted that he had warned against the initial decision of the Assembly.
The group equally directed the clerk to communicate their decision accordingly and adjourned plenary indefinitely.
Addressing newsmen after the session, Nwamba said that the change in guard was necessitated by what he termed `selfish interest of the other faction’.
“We will not allow few persons to ridicule this institution due to some personal interests. We are not a party to the impeachment of the governor.
“It will be unfair to allow a few people to ridicule the state due to interests. Governor Sullivan Chime is the best governor in this country. We will work in cordial relationship with the incoming administration,’’ Nwamba said.
A detachment of policemen barricaded the entrance to the Assembly as vehicles were not allowed into the premises.
Meanwhile, the state government on Monday said it was unaware of impeachment process against Chime by a faction of the Assembly.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Chukwudi Achife, stated this in a telephone interview in Enugu.
Achife described the action of the 15-member faction of the Assembly led by Odo, as `null and void’.
According to him, the state government is still trying to come to terms with the realities of a change in the leadership of the House.
“What we should be talking about is the new leadership of the House of Assembly and not what the old one did. The process is perpetrated by those leaving the government on May 29 and that is why they are furious.
“No impeachment notice has been served on the governor; we must get that straight,’’ he said.
But in a swift reactio, Odo described his purported impeachment by the nine-man faction of the lawmakers as legislative recklessness and impunity.
Odo said that he was still the Speaker of the Assembly.
He noted that the action of the Nwamba group was illegal, unknown to law and unknown to democracy.
“The status quo remains. I am still the speaker. It is only two-thirds of the 24 lawmakers that can impeach or suspend the speaker and only eight of them cannot suspend or impeach the speaker. “It is true that they formed a quorum but a quorum cannot impeach the speaker,’’ Odo said.
He said he was being persecuted for not signing a forged supplementary appropriation for 2012 which the governor allegedly wanted him and the clerk of the assembly to sign in 2015.
Odo claimed that the document had no records in the proceedings of the Assembly.
The speaker said that the crisis started when the lawmakers declined to sign the N11 billion loan sought by the governor less than 60 days to the end of his tenure.
“The governor surreptitiously called some members and gave them N2 million each to impeach the speaker,’’ he alleged.
According to him, one of the lawmakers who felt that the impeachment was against his conscience pulled out, leaving only eight of them.
The speaker said that the Assembly would resume its plenary session on Tuesday.
