Nine lawmakers in the Imo House of Assembly, including its minority leader, have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) days after the ruling party clinched the governorship position via a Supreme Court ruling.
The Deputy Speaker of the assembly, Okey Onyekamma (Mbaitoli, PDP) also, on Tuesday, resigned his position as a principal officer of the Assembly.
The minority leader, Ekene Nnodumele (Orlu, APGA) first resigned his position, then defected to the APC.
The speaker of the Assembly, Collins Chiji (Isiala Mbano, PDP) Tuesday announced the developments on Tuesday.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Supreme Court nullified the election of Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party as the governor of Imo State.
The apex court then declared Hope Uzodinma of the APC as the winner of the March 9 governorship election in the state. Mr Uzodinma originally came fourth in the election.
The seven-member panel of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Tanko Muhammad gave the unanimous decision on Tuesday in Abuja.
Defections, resignations
Reading Mr Onyekamma’s resignation letter dated January 20, 2019, the Speaker disclosed his was as a result of ”convention and zoning”.
He said the convention prescribes that the deputy speaker should be from the geo-political zone of the sitting governor.
PREMIUM TIMES
