Governor Elechi Gets support from protesters over his planned impeachment

Following impeachment moves against Ebonyi State Governor, Martins Elechi by 15 Lawmakers of the State House of Assembly, hundreds of protesters have stormed the streets of Abakaliki the Ebonyi state capital to protest against the planned act.

Women and youths were seen carrying placards with inscriptions like “No Shortcut To Government House” and “Impeachment Of Governor Will Not Stand”.

The protesters were said to be from the 13 Local Government Areas of the state.

The anti-impeachment protesters have converged on the Government House asking that those behind the impeachment process desist from such action.

The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has on Friday served an impeachment notice on the Governor, Martin Elechi.

The motion for Elechi to be served the notice was moved by Hon. Odefa Obasi Odefa and seconded by Hon. Valentine Okike.

Acting Leader of the House, Francis Nwifuru, who read the notice of impeachment during the plenary said the notice is on account of gross misconduct by the Governor.

Mr Nwifuru accused the Governor of huge financial misappropriation, undermining the integrity of the house, among other offences.

Governor Elechi whose tenure will end this year come May 29 also lost his bid to the Senate during the PDP Senatorial primary election.

However, Ebonyi State governor, Chief Martin Elechi, on Friday accused Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, and National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metu, of masterminding the impeachment plot against him.

The governor made the allegation just as an impeachment motion against him was passed by members of the Ebonyi House of Assembly.

In the eight counts signed by fifteen lawmakers and read on the floor of the House by the Acting Leader, Ogbonnaya Nwifuru, the lawmakers declared that they served the notice of impeachment because the alleged gross misconduct was a clear violation of the Constitution.

Following the impeachment moves, the remaining 9 members of the House have disclosed that their lives are now being threatened for not supporting the motion.

According to them, desperate attempts are being made through several means including death threats, financial inducement and intimidation to force them to append their names to the impeachment plot which they have failed to be part of.

While briefing journalists in Abakaliki, the state capital, the nine members maintained that the Speaker of the House, Hon Chukwuma Nwazunku violated the section 188 sub section 4 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, in his proceedings on the impeachment move.

The said section states that a motion shall not be declared as having been passed unless it is supported by the votes of not less than two-third majority of all the members of the House.