Ebonyi Impeachment: 9 Members’ Lives Allegedly Threatened

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 will 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 say 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-stateman, 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 adding 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.