The battle over who becomes the 12th Speaker of the 8th Abia State House of Assembly which will be inaugurated in June 2023 has commenced, a source privy to the development told PUO reports on Thursday.
It was gathered that the emergence of Dr Alex Otti of the Labour Party as the new Governor elect of Abia State has shattered some underground arrangements for some returning lawmakers elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Recall that PUO REPORTS had reported few days ago that while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has majority members elect with 11 House of Assembly members , Labour Party has the second highest with 10 Lawmakers elect, while the YPP and the APC has 2 and 1 lawmakers elect respectively.
The standing rule of the Abia State House of Assembly as at today remains that the Speaker of the House of Assembly shall be elected from among the returning Lawmakers whose party has majority of members in the House.
Out of the 24 members, only four lawmakers elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are returning and ranking lawmakers namely ; Hon Solomon Akpulonu representing Obingwa East State Constituency, Hon Godwin Adiele representing Ukwa West State Constituency, Hon Emmanuel Ndubuisi representing Bende South State Constituency and Hon Mandela Obasi representing Ohafia North State Constituency
But the provision of Section 68(1)(g) prohibits lawmakers to abandone the political party that sponsored their election unless as a result of division in the political party.
The Supreme Court has held severally that only a division that makes it impossible for a party to function can provide the basis for a legislator’s defection from his political party to another.
A source close to the new Governor elect told our correspondent on Thursday that some of the Lawmakers has already reached out to the new Governor elect to declare their loyalty ahead of the Inauguration of the 8th Abia State House of Assembly which will take place in June.
It was gathered that the Labour Party leadership in the state will sit very soon to take a position as it regards to the leadership of the 8th Abia State House of Assembly before it’s inauguration in June 2023.
