Nkwerre People reject Okwara’s Sack, express anger at Kennedy Ibeh

Explosive reactions have followed the pronouncement by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Kennedy Ibe, declaring the seat for Nkwerre State Constituency vacant, thus calling on INEC to conduct a By-Election.

This incident which took place yesterday, 6th April, 2022 during the plenary, had the newly sworn-in member, representing Ngor-Okpala State Constituency, Hon. Blyden Amajirionwu moving a motion, citing Section 109(g) of 1999 Constitution as amended and called for the declaration of the Seat for the member representing Nkwerre State Constituency, Hon. Obinna Okwara vacant on the basis that Hon. Obinna Okwara has defected to another Political Party.

The motion which was seconded by member representing Isiala-Mbano LGA, Rt. Hon. Chiji Collins was put to vote before hitting the gavel by the Speaker has attracted condemnation from Imolites and beyond.

Imolites have wondered at the kind of Parliamentarians that constitute the 9th Assembly under the Leadership of Rt. Hon. Kennedy Ibe, member representing Obowo State Constituency.

According to reactions gathered, Imolites described the pronouncement as one of the most unpopular decisions made by the 9th House, stating that it has appeared that the House has totally lost its flavours and fundamental principles which should be for the interest of the masses but have ended up using it as a means for self political vendetta.

They wondered how Hon. Kennedy Ibe who won on the platform of Action Alliance AA but later decamped to PDP and finally settled with APC will turn around to preside over an action on defection by his colleagues.

According to Mr Michael Ihegboro, a chieftain of Action Alliance from Ihitte Uboma LGA, he informed that Hon. Kennedy Ibe won his seat on the platform of his Party with the help and influence of Ugwumba Uche Nwosu but decamped to APC and when Hon. Emeka Ihedioha of PDP held sway as governor of Imo State, Kennedy Ibe decamped to PDP. When Hope Uzodinma came on board, he still decamped back to APC, making four political moves within three political parties between 2019 till date. This according to Ihegboro, is ridiculous of him and laughable indeed.

Ihegboro further wondered whether conscience and shame do not exist in humans anymore, noting that Hon. Kennedy Ibe should bury his face in shame because he has shown that the leadership of IMHA has no integrity or shame and this is bad to the Government of Imo State in general.

In a similar development, another political observer, Hon. Lewechi Amadi from Aboh Mbaise LGA, frowned at the development, noting that law makers should not be law breakers because such will continue to spell doom to our growing democracy.

He wondered why law makers will not take time to understand the process of law making and as well arrogate themselves the role of being interpreters of the law instead of allowing the arm of the Government saddled with such responsibility which is the Judiciary to carry out their duty.

According to Amadi, the law says the party that sponsored the candidate’s election and not the party that inherited a state of victory. APC is not the party that sponsored the election he insisted.

Nkwerre LGA constituents we spoke to, massively called on the leadership of IMHA to stop abusing their fundamental Rights as one of the 27 LGAs that made up the State by continued implanting of confusion, thus technically keeping them away from being part of the Legislative arm of the Government of Imo State which they are entitled to .

They advised the Leadership of the House to rescind the decision because to them, it is a clear demonstration that Nkwerre LGA is hated with passion and wondered why such emotional oppression.

This, according to them was because Hon Obinna is on suspension in what is seen as politically motivated reason. They recalled that he was suspended alongside two other members of the House for attending the burial of the mother of Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, which according to them, was a clear case of political vendetta.

While on suspension, during Plenary on 6th April, 2022, his seat was declared vacant on the rumours of defection, when his letter or any letter sent in person or by proxy was yet to be read on the floor of the House, because defection of a member is considered official once the defection letter is read on the floor of the house but no such thing has happened. Hon. Obinna was yet to be given the opportunity to accept or deny the rumour before the action.

Even in the event of decamping officially, his constituents are of the view that it was the Court of law that has such right to make such pronouncement based on defection by interpretation of section 109(g).

They pointed out that the Deputy Speaker, Amara Iwuanyanwu was elected on the platform of APGA and he later defected to APC. They observed that Amara is still on his seat representing the people of Nwangele LGA and his seat was not declared vacant.

They also observed that Rt. Hon. Chiji Collins, the seconder of the Motion was elected on the platform of APGA but he defected to APC, to PDP and back to APC. He is also still representing Isiala-Mbano LGA. They observed that he was the same law Maker that pushed down table of kola nut in anger when he was told point blank by one of his constituents of his abysmal poor performance. The people of Nkwerre who spoke were not happy that his seat, despite his record in defection, was not declared vacant.

Nwadike Chikezie, an aide to Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, the son-in-law to former Governor Rochas Okorocha, stated when he spoke to us on the development, “Why the selective action against the people of Nkwerre LGA because this is not against Hon. Obinna Okwara. It’s a deep insult on the entire people of Nkwerre LGA. Does it mean that the constitution is for Only Nkwerre LGA and not for others in the same event ?”