By CHARLES IWUOHA

Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, has insisted that the purported removal of the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly was dead on arrival, saying that Hon. Odefa Obasi Odefa remains the Deputy Speaker.

State Chairman of the party, Mr Tochukwu Okorie, who disclosed this on Tuesday to newsmen after the party's caucus meeting held at Salt Lake Hotels, in Abakaliki.

The 15 lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the Speaker, Hon. Francis Nwifuru, had, on Monday, declared vacant the seat of the Deputy Speaker who represents Onicha East State Constituency.

The Speaker, had during plenary, read a resignation letter allegedly written by Mr Obasi, notifying the House of his resignation as a member of the House.

But the embattled Deputy Speaker, while reacting, denied all the allegations, alleging that the letter for his removal was forged.

The embattled Deputy Speaker vowed to challenge the Speaker, Mr Nwifuru, in court to seek redress.

Lending his voice to the development on Tuesday, the PDP Chairman, Mr Okorie, vowed that falsehood, forgery, lies and impunity cannot and would never be allowed to take over Ebonyi State parliament, irrespective of the powers behind such evil move.

He said that the PDP would leave no stone unturned in its determined and spirited effort to restore normalcy, law and order in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly and bring to justice, all those who allegedly conspired and committed such heinous crimes.

Okorie said: “I am happy to announce that the attempted coup d’etat that happened in the desecrated chambers of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly which sought to forcefully remove from office, the Deputy Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Odefa Obasi Odefa, has failed.

“Let me state categorically therefore that Rt. Hon. Odefa Obasi Odefa remains the undisputed substantive Deputy Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly as at today February 22, 2022.

It is a trite saying that you cannot build something on nothing. “Therefore, falsehood, forgery, lies and impunity cannot and will never be allowed to take over Ebonyi State parliament, irrespective of the powers behind such evil move.

“The disgraceful document flying around purporting to be a resignation letter by the Honourable Deputy Speaker is nothing but an act of forgery perpetrated by no less a person than the (former) Speaker of the EBHA, Hon. Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru, leading a handful of other members.

“It is a huge a shame that the leadership of the House could descend into such petty crimes and criminality to commit forgery and perjury, telling brazen lies, all in an effort to victimize the Deputy Speaker for daring the demi-god of Ebonyi Government House by reaffirming his membership of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ebonyi State, has now more than ever been vindicated by this show of shame and the total desecration of the alter of democracy and rule of law by a few renegade lawmakers who, on the backing of Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, yesterday made attempt at truncating democracy and the rule of law in Ebonyi State.

“Consequently, the purported removal of the Deputy Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Odefa Obasi Odefa, and subsequent declaration of his seat as vacant is not just an affront to constitutionalism, but an insult to the collective memory of the people of Ebonyi State and Nigeria at large.

“This aberration has failed as it cannot stand, shall never stand and we are assuring the good people of Ebonyi State and indeed all Nigerians that the PDP shall remain firm and on the side of the law and therefore, will explore all legal avenues to restore the confidence of the electorate in the state parliament.

“Similarly, as can be confirmed by their presence in our expanded state Working Committee Meeting of today and their presence in this press briefing, the jejune and forged letters read by 15 members of the House of Assembly to the effect that Hon. Oliver Osi and Hon. Ngozi Eziulo had resigned their membership of the PDP and subsequently defected to the APC is also another sad case of brazen forgery and defamation for which the individual lawmakers have already resolved to seek redress in appropriate courts of law.

“It is important to reiterate that the PDP, Ebonyi State, will leave no stone unturned in our determined and spirited effort to restore normalcy, law and order in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly and bring to justice all those who have conspired and have committed such heinous crimes in bringing the State institutions of democracy to disrepute.”

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