A plot to impeach Abia State Speaker, Hon. Martins Azubuike, and replace him with a crony of a political cabal which is desperate to control the State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has been uncovered.

In several secret meetings in Umuahia, Abuja and Lagos, the powerful cabal allegedly led by Chinedum Orji has been perfecting plans to cage the Governor and make his position ceremonial, so as to enable them to control the resources of the state. Having met brick walls in their original plots, they have turned to the state House of Assembly to actualise their deadly ambition.

The new plot is to remove the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Barr. Martins Azubuike, whose intelligence and candor are said to have stabilised the relationship between the Executive and the Legislative arms of Government since he was voted as the speaker of the state’s 6th Assembly.

According to sources, the cabal believes that once the Speaker is removed, the majority leader, Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, popularly called Ikuku, the son of Senator T.A. Orji, who represents Abia Central Senatorial Zone, would be elected the Speaker and once that happens, they will have all the powers to control the Governor. “We also learnt that other plans are on the cards to get a crony if he fails in his bid to make himself the new Speaker,” one of the sources said. Insiders allege that Hon. Orji expected the present Speaker to be subservient to him, a move he has so far ignored.

To the shock of many Abians, however, some APGA members in the House of Assembly that left PDP because of the former first family seem to have been bought over by Hon. Chinedum Orji, a development which puts their integrity to question.

Nevertheless, according to one of the APGA House members who pleaded anonymity, Hon. Orji has allegedly called them for meetings thrice, trying to convince them to see reasons why the Speaker must be removed as he (the Speaker) does not bring extra money from the Governor to share to them.

The APGA member added that Hon. Orji is taking them for a ride, after the way his family ruined the state that led to many of them defecting to APGA. “My brother,” he said, “we are waiting for the money, let him come forth with it; it’s our money, ego Ndi Abia. Where has the young man worked all his life? We shall take the money but will not do his bidding. We are comfortable with our Speaker, whatever happens to the Speaker now will definitely affect the Governor and all the projects he has embarked this period will stop.”

But another curious dimension was added to the sinister impeachment plot as all the APGA House members boycotted the House plenary on Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th February, 2016, on a flimsy reason that they have not been paid their January salary and to create the impression that the Governor and the Speaker are not in charge. But we found out that they have not only received their January salary, Gov. Ikpeazu also gave each House of Assembly member N6m for constituency projects, the first of its kind in the history of democracy in the state.

Not relenting, the cabal in a recent strategic move to manouvre the obstacle on their way recruited a House member from Obingwa constituency as a mole. Incidentally, Gov. Ikpeazu is from Obingwa LGA.

However, they have a herculean task convincing legislatures of Ukwa Ngwa extraction and some other APGA House members that have conscience, who are happy with the massive work the Governor is doing across the state and happy with the Speaker’s leadership style.

As things stand now, the battle has shifted to the March 5th re-run for state constituency elections. It was revealed that Hon. Orji has mobilised enough cash to support some of his “boys” with the belief that when they succeed, he may then control about 16 House members which will guarantee his ambition to emerge Speaker.

An insider from the cabal who is not happy with the plot to control Governor Ikpeazu attributes it to envy, on the part of the former first family and their political foot soldiers. Furthermore, he told Nigeria Moment that Sen. T.A Orji is not happy that Gov. Ikpeazu has done in eight months, even with dwindling revenue from the federation account, what he could not achieve in eight years.

Nigeria Moment made efforts to reach both the Speaker and the Majority leader, as to hear their own side of the story but all to no avail, while the speaker was said not to be on seat, the Majority leader was not also available as at the time we called in his office at the Assembly complex Umuahia.

The news of the impending crisis in Abia is being discussed in hushed tones all over the state. A House member, who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity, confided in this newspaper that last week Friday 19th February, the PDP caucus in the House, led by the majority leader, held a meeting with the Governor but was shocked that the Speaker was not in the meeting with them. Pressed to disclose the agenda of the meeting, he said it was a family affair. The absence of the Speaker during the said meeting with the Governor has indeed lent credence to the speculation that all is not well with Abia PDP lawmakers.

In Aba, an Ukwa Ngwa youth leader, Mr. Uchechukwu Nwaogwugwu, told this newspaper that though Ukwa Ngwa people are grateful to Sen. Theodore Orji, the immediate past Governor of the state, for making it possible for power to shift to Ukwa Ngwa area, they have shown him love by making him a Senator, even when his people rejected him. Mr. Nwaogwugwu advised those after the Speaker and Governor to stop or face a battle with the whole Ukwa Ngwa Nation.

•Adapted from a Nigeria Moment report. Photo shows Abia State Speaker, Hon. Martins Azubuike.

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