CONTROVERSY: EBONYI ASSEMBLY ELECTS NEW DEPUTY SPEAKER; FORMER DEPUTY SPEAKER ALLEGES HIS RESIGNATION LETTER IS FORGED

REPORTER: AMECHI ODO

Ebonyi State House of Assembly has elected Mr. Kingsley Ikoro, representing Afikpo North West State Constituency, as its new Deputy Speaker.

This followed the declaration of the seat of Chief Obasi Odefa Obasi, representing Onitcha East, who was the Deputy Speaker of the House, vacant.

The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Francis Nwifuru, at the plenary session explained that the decision followed purported resignation of Chief Obasi as a member of the House.

The Speaker claimed that Chief Odefa notified the House about his resignation through a letter he read at the plenary.

The new Deputy Speaker, Mr. Kingsley Ikoro, was nominated unopposed by fifteen lawmakers, who attended the sitting after which he was sworn in by the clerk of the House.

The Speaker also read other letters purportedly written by Mazi Oliver Osi, representing Ivo state Constituency, and another member, Mrs. Ngozi Ezeilo, claiming that they had defected from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a swift reaction, Chief Odefa said he never resigned his position as alleged by the Speaker claiming that the purported letter containing his resignation was forged.

He insisted that he was still the Deputy Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly claiming that the Speaker resorted to fabricating a letter containing his purported resignation because he failed to raise two third majority to impeach him.

He alleged that his trouble started when he refused to join APC and issued a press statement to affirm his membership of the PDP.