Embattled Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martins Azubuike, says he would not challenge his removal from office despite the inherent flaws in his impeachment him. In his first interaction with newsmen after his impeachment on December 29, 2016, Azubuike said he has taken the development with equanimity, adding that as a patriot, he would not like to continue heating up the Abia polity.

He, however, maintained that he was innocent of all allegations leveled against him, stressing that he was neither served any impeachment notice nor given the opportunity to defend himself.

The third-time Abia lawmaker described the allegation of financial recklessness leveled against him as an “omnibus allegation,” pointing out that the completion of the 30-room constituency offices of the lawmakers was a pointer that monies that accrued to him while in office were judiciously used.

Below is the encounter between News Express and Azubuike at Amapu Ntigha Monday evening after a grand reception organised by the people of Umunnato made up of Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South and Osisioma local governments to welcome him back as a good representative.

News Express: We want to know if the processes of impeachment like giving you impeachment notice, setting up a committee to investigate the allegations preferred against you, were these processes followed before removing you

Hon. Azubuike: Not at all, Not at all.

Now as a lawyer what do of this your impeachment?

Well, you see, from the stand point of a patriot, from the stand [point of somebody who mean well for this government and this government, even though the impeachment was procedurally flawed, nobody served me any impeachment notice, nobody reconvened the House on the

day they sat and these are very valid points to upturn that impeachment in the court of law, but because I mean well, Abia has been in the news for very wrong reasons and I do not want to add to it and that is why I have let it be, yes.

How do you feel that your Ngwa brothers also signed the impeachment notice against you

You know every Assembly man comes from a constituency and they represent their constituencies. I may not know what they went through, what befell them, being that we are on recess, right? It is possible they found themselves in a position where they had no choice than what they did and, like I told them that day, I bear them no grudge. It is possible they were faced with a situation they could not contend with, may be there may nothing to be done in such a situation. That is my reaction to what everybody did.

What were the allegations against you?

I don’t even know the allegations because nobody served me any impeachment notice. When they say financial recklessness, that is an omnibus statement, omnibus allegation. I don’t know whether they gave you people details of that. I am at a loss like you people too.

You have been in the House for the third consecutive tenure, you should have known that your fellow members like money. Why were you not sharing the money to them, at least, to save your neck?

It is not only House of Assembly members that like money; even journalists also like money.

But I am sure you would have known or you would have seen that they governor commissioned the building that was started in 2007, a building that has survived two speakers. Right? So, if that is anything to go by, it means that the House money was judiciously used to realise that project. I don’t know if you entered inside the offices, you would have seen the lavish furnishing, you would have seen the computerised systems and all the networks. You would have seen the House website for the very first time. I am sure you would have seen all of that. So, that may answer your question.

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