Members of the Abia State House of Assembly have voted to impeach its Speaker, Hon. Chinedum Orji.
NewsClick Nigeria gathered that the impeachment of the Abia Speaker was carried out by 18 out of 27 members of the Assembly who sat at an undisclosed location.
According to reports, the motion for the impeachment was moved by Chukwudi Apugo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who represents Umuahia-East and was seconded by Okey Igwe of the PDP, who is representing Umunneochi Constituency.
The lawmakers are accusing the Speaker of gross misconduct and highhandedness.
But a source close to the state government described the impeachment as “Legislative Nollywood” which cannot stand.
According to the source, the House of Assembly complex had been under lock and key, so 18 lawmakers taking such action outside the assembly complex is the height of impunity.
The Clerk of the House was not there to swear in the new speaker.
NewsClick Nigeria reports that the current legislative assembly tenure expires on May 29.
Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji is the 11th Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, in office since June 10, 2019. He was elected as the Lawmaker representing Umuahia Central State Constituency in 2015 and got re-elected during the 2019 Governorship and State House of Assembly Elections in Abia State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. He was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly on the 10th of June, 2019 during the Inauguration of the 7th Abia State House of Assembly.
