THE UNDERGROUND MOVES
The beat is on, the heat is getting tense as the ongoing retreat for members elect for 9th Imo State House of Assembly holding in Oguta Local Government Area may have turned to a fresh ground for lobbying by some members elect who are vying for Speakership and other positions of the incoming Assembly.
This newspaper was informed that the issue is not just revolving around some members elect, but has elicited the interest of political actors from Okigwe and Orlu Zones who are strongly making a case for the number three position in the State.
However, the contest is a straight one among members elect from Okigwe and Orlu zones as Owerri zone members elect look good to produce the Deputy Speaker. Owerri zone produced nine members elect for the PDP, Orlu zone have four members elect while Okigwe zone failed to produce any PDP member elect.
Despite this anomaly, Okigwe zone is fiercely in the race to produce the Speaker despite the fact it failed to produce a PDP member elect. Their unique selling point is that there must be equity since Owerri and Orlu zones have grabbed the Governorship and Deputy Governorship positions.
Orlu zone seems to have anchored on the flaw of Okigwe zone to push ferociously for the Speakership despite the fact it has the Deputy Governor of the State, Hon. Gerald Irona.
Based on these permutations, lobbying is said to have reached feverish stage which intensified after Governor Emeka Ihedioha declared a Retreat for Members elect open on Tuesday in Oguta Local Government.
The Governor, an ex parliamentarian, who rose to the zenith of the legislature to become Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives is said to be playing “safe” in the matter in order not to be presumed to be orchestrating the strings from behind to determine who becomes the Speaker of the incoming House of Assembly.
However, some close observers of the unfolding development argue that he cannot turn a blind eye to who emerges the Speaker despite the assumption that the legislature remains independent of the Executive Arm of government.
ORDEAL OF RANKING MEMBERS
Returning lawmakers to the House who have interest in the position are having rough times breaking through in their quest to become Speaker of the 9th Assembly.
None of them is of the ruling PDP which control the levers of power in the State. Of the 27 members elect, the opposition political parties, the Action Alliance, AA and All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA have 13 elected members. Ironically, 6 of them emerged from Okigwe zone, while 8 are from Orlu zone.
However, the returning lawmakers interested in the position are banking on “Ranking Rule” to oil their aspirations and as a basis to scale through the hurdle to succeed.
More than five lawmakers of the outgoing 8th Assembly are returning to the 9th Assembly. Two of them were reported in the media to have shown interest to become Speaker. Hon. Kennedy Ibe (AA, Obowo) and Lawman Duruji (AA, Ehime Mbano) were reported to have signaled interest.
Duruji emerged Speaker after Acho Ihim left in a drama in the House that saw him (Duruji) last as Speaker for 24 hours paving way for Hon Chinedu Offor (AA, Onuimo) to become Speaker of the 8th Assembly.
Hon Paul Emeziem is the only first time member elect that comes from Okigwe State constituency that is reported to be angling for the position from Okigwe zone. He is of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA.
ORLU ZONE.
Orlu zone has shown strong commitment to have the Speaker of the 9th Assembly on the grounds that since Okigwe zone never believed in the PDP by not electing a single PDP member elect, the position should shift to Orlu zone who produced members from the party from the zone.
A Chieftain of the PDP in Orlu zone, Chief Chuks Iroanya, said ” Okigwee zone should bid farewell to the Speakership because the zone became a ground for the opposition, (AA, PDP), to congregate. Its a congregation ground for the opposition. And do we allow a Speaker of the House to emerge from the den of the opposition
Orlu zone have four PDP members elect namely Paschal Okolie (Orlu) Frank Ugboma (Oguta), Dominic Ezerioha, (Oru West) and Nwaneri Chigozie (Oru East). None of them is reported to have indicated interest in the Speakership position of the ninth Assembly.
DECAMPEES IN THE OFFING?
There are indications that some members elect particularly those eyeing the Speakership but not elected on the PDP platform may have quietly joined the fray to assume the position. There are indications that there may be deluge of decampments on the day of inauguration of the ninth Assembly.
CAN A SPEAKER EMERGE FROM ANY ZONE?
Mr. Emmanuel Okwu, President, Imo Awareness Coalition, IAC,
has a different perception on how the Speaker of the ninth Assembly should emerge.
He said any of the three geo political zones, Owerri, Okigwee, Orlu can produce the Speaker of the incoming House of Assembly
“This is the first time we hear of zoning the office of the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly. It is strictly a parliamentary affair and not subject to any external debate or influence
” Zoning (if it really exists) applies to Executive positions such as the office of the Governor and not for the office of the Speaker.
“I wonder why the hullabaloo that a Speaker must emerge from a particular zone in the State.
He kicked against pushing the Executives to interfere in the process of electing a Speaker.
He said “Cajoling or pressuring Governor Ihedioha to meddle in the affairs of the incoming House of Assembly by influencing who becomes Speaker of the House from a particular zone is also an invitation to the Executives to gradually begin the process of strangulating the legislature as witnessed during the era of the outgoing government”
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