Ebonyi Impeachment: 9 Assembly Members Allege Threat To Lives

Following the purported impeachment motion that was moved by 15
lawmakers in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly to remove the
incumbent Governor of the state Mr Martin Elechi, the remaining 9
members of the House have disclosed that their lives are now being
threatened for not supporting the motion.

According to them, desperate attempts are being made through several
means including death threats, financial inducement and intimidation
to force them to append their names to the impeachment plot which they
have failed to be part of.

While briefing journalists in Abakaliki, the state capital, on
Saturday, the nine members maintained that the Speaker of the House,
Hon Chukwuma Nwazunku violated the section 188 sub section 4 of the
constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, in
his proceedings on the impeachment move.

The said section states that a motion shall not be declared as having
been passed unless it is supported by the votes of not less than
two-third majority of all the members of the House.

The lawmakers maintained that they will not be a party or attempt to
sign any document seeking to remove the Governor from office.

Having governed Ebonyi State for seven and a half years, less than two
months to his handing over ceremony, the state Governor, Mr Martin
Elechi is faced with an impeachment move by lawmakers in the state
following an accusation on an 8 count charge including
misappropriation of state funds, gross misconduct and embezzlement.

Since the motion was supported by just 15 members out of the 24
members of the house which constitutionally is not two third majority
of the House, the other nine members gathered to brief journalists on
the matter.

One of the lawmakers, Eni Chima maintained that they will not subject
themselves to be used by any person or group to destabilise the peace
in the state, as they would not be a party to or attempt to sign any
document seeking to remove the Governor from office, even at gun
point.

The lawmakers further accused the Speaker of the House of
collaborating with some other politicians in the state to unlawfully
impeach the Governor, who they said is a founding father of the state.

However, in an interview with Channels Television, one of the founding
fathers of Ebonyi State and an elder-statesman, Chief Egwu Chima said
the recent developments in the political scene were rather
disappointing and unwarranted, considering the level of sacrifice and
service the present state Governor had deposited in the state from its
creation.

He added that the issue at stake is a matter of destructive obsession
by some unscrupulous elements who are hellbent on ruling the state.

Meanwhile, as at the time of filing this report, the 15 lawmakers
including the Speaker of House, Rt. Hon. Chukwuma Nwazunku disclosed
that they are far away in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, for a
meeting.

As it stands now, the Governor is yet to be served with the impeachment notice.
--ChannelsTV