The impeachment of the Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Paul Emeziem by 19 members of the Assembly last Tuesday, is said to be part of a wider plan, to “cut down” the activities of those seen as non conformists and moles in Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration.
According to articles and write ups credited to agents of the the Deputy Speaker, Hon Amara Iwuanyanwu, Hon. Emeziem was impeached as Speaker of the House for working in cahoots with the opposition, which fueled his move to impeach his Deputy.
An allegation the sacked Speaker, Emeziem roundly denied.
This coincided with claims by the State Commissioner of Information, Declan Emelumba, who had alleged last week that some powerful politicians in the state were plotting to destabilize the Uzodimma administration.
Iwuanyanwu few days after his impeachment, was reinstated as Deputy Speaker of the House, with Hon Kennedy Ibe, a two term member who represents Obowo State Constituency elected the new Speaker to replace Hon Emeziem.
Iwuanyanwu is adjudged as the “eye” of the governor in the House of Assembly, as reports say he enjoys a robust personal relationship with Governor Uzodimma.
According to reports, the impeachment of Hon.Emeziem as Speaker could be traced to allegations that he was “fraternizing” with opposition forces in the State, particularly his former political godfather, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume.
Araraume, who was appointed Chairman, Board of Directors of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, by President Muhammadu Buhari, is a known political foe of Governor Hope Uzodimma.
Governor Uzodimma had strongly opposed Senator Araraume’s intention to go to the Senate to represent Okigwe zone and preferred less fancied Frank Ibezim.
Emezim is known to have shared things in common with Araraume during the 2019 Imo governorship election, when the latter emerged the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA after decamping from the All Progressive Congress, APC.
The impeached Speaker rode on Araraume’s popularity in Okigwe zone to clinch the Okigwe State Constituency seat in the House of Assembly on the platform of APGA, before he decamped to the APC, where he aligned with Governor Hope Uzodimma and later emerged Speaker of the House after the impeachment of Hon. Chiji Collins.
One of the sins peddled against Paul Emeziem was that he visited Senator Araraume recently to congratulate the latter on his appointment as Chairman, Board of Directors of the NNPC.
The former Speaker has denied all the allegations pledging his support to the Uzodimma administration, saying what is paramount is the good of the State.
Newspaper reports in Owerri however say the House of Assembly still remain divided despite the photo sessions between Uzodimma and members of the House after a new Speaker was elected.
Top government sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said the impeachment of the former Speaker is part of a wider plan to “weed out undesirable persons either sabotaging the shared prosperity government of Senator Uzodimma or those who have no relevance in the present government”
The source said “the impeachment fever is not over. In weeks to come, there will be interesting developments. It is a case of weeding out the non conformists and moles in order to re- tool this administration as soon as possible, as the next political dispensation draws near”
Governor Hope Uzodimma was declared governor of Imo State by the Supreme Court on January 14, 2020, ending abruptly the seven month old administration of Hon Emeka Ihedioha.
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