Lucky Obukohwo Reporting
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in Abia State House of Assembly, have stormed out of the commissioner-nominees screening for not producing the Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip of the House being the majority members in the house.
PDP has 11 members, Labour Party (LP) 10, Young Progressives Party (YPP) two, and APC one in the 24-member Abia Assembly.
The drama started during the last sitting of the House when the Speaker, Emmanuel Emereuwa , said that based on the understanding reached between LP, YPP and APC, LP had formed the majority in the House.
He announced Destiny Nwagwu (LP/Aba North) as Deputy Majority Leader, Emeka Obioma (LP/Umuahia South) as Chief Whip and Iheanacho Nwogu (YPP/Osisioma Ngwa North) as Deputy Chief Whip.
This did not go down well with lawmakers elected under the platform of the PDP who objected to the votes and proceedings of the previous sitting where issues of appointment of principal officers were said to have been expunged from the records of the House.
The protesting lawmakers led by the member representing Obingwa East state constituency, Solomon Akpulonu, said the PDP was the majority party and would not accept to take any minority positions.
He requested that the PDP must produce the Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip of the House.
Akpulonu urged the speaker, Emmanuel Emereuwa, to read out the names of the nominees for the position of principal officers sent by the state chairman of the PDP, Chief Asiforo Okere.
However, the Speaker refused to accede to the request, forcing the PDP lawmakers to stage a walkout in protest.
With the 11 PDP members out of the House chamber, the Speaker continued with the business of the day which included the screening of the 19 Commissioner nominees that Governor Alex Otti sent to the House. All of them were screened and confirmed by the House.
Akpulonu, however, said that the PDP lawmakers would approach the court to seek interpretation of the House standing order 8, rule 42 that says the majority leader shall be selected from amongst the members of the party that has the majority members in the House of Assembly.
He said there was no law that empowered the minority party in the House to announce principal officers of the House.
“PDP lawmakers in the state Assembly will approach the party to announce principal officers of the majority party as it is not mandatory that the Speaker will announce it. We will never allow the minority party which is the Labour Party to take the positions of the majority party in the House. The speaker must respect the rules guiding the House.”
For member representing Ukwa East constituency, Goddy Adiele, he said YPP and APC members should announce their defection at the floor of the House before LP could assume majority.
“If they want to do what they are claiming about coalition and alliance, then the parties should step out and come to the floor of the House and let the members Decamp.
“Let any member who wants to join the Labour Party from YPP and APC come to the House and declare for the Labour Party and we will know that they have turned to the majority party. We won’t quarrel about it. But as long as the status quo remains, PDP is the majority party in Abia Assembly”, Adiele said.