Fear has gripped some members of the Imo State House of Assembly, including the Speaker, Kennedy Ibe.
Ibe and 16 members of the House have been serial decampees, jumping from one political party to another, since 2019 they were elected to the State House of Assembly.
On Monday, 20 members of the Cross River State House of Assembly, who had dumped the PDP for the APC, were sacked by a law court.
Last week, an Abuja Federal High Court, sacked Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, for decamping from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Apparently motivated by these developments, a group, Legal Defence and Assistance Project, have revived a suit it had filed in 2021, challenging the defection of some members of the Imo State House of Assembly.
The plaintiffs in the suit, Chijioke Nwachukwu, Chibuzo Ekene and Mmerole Modestus instituted the suit against the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Clerk of the House, Independent National Electoral Commission, Attorney General of the Federation, Hon Collins Chiji, Hon Amarachi Iwuanyanwu, Uju Onwudiwe and 15 others.
In suit No.FHC/Ow/27/2020 filed by counsel of the group, Nath Epele and co, they had approached Federal High Court, Owerri, to declare the seat of the said lawmakers vacant on the basis they defected from the party which elected into them to the House.
The case was instituted when Chiji Collins, member representing Isiala Mbano State Constituency was elected into the House on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, but later defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Collins dumped APGA for the PDP which won the Imo State governorship election, a move which enabled him to grab the Speakership of the Imo State House of Assembly.
After the Supreme Court sacked the Emeka Ihedioha led PDP government in Imo State on January 14, 2020 and declared Senator Hope Uzodimma of the APC as governor, Chiji alongside some members, also crossed over to the APC.
Aside Chiji, some members elected to the House on the platform of the PDP and APGA, also joined the APC.
Those who decamped are Kennedy Ibe (Obowo), Amara Chyna Iwuanyanwu (Nwangele), Innocent Arthur Egwim (Ideato North), Chidiebere Ogbunikpa (Okigwe), Obinna Okwara (Nkwerre), Paul Emeziem (Onuimo), Ekene Nnodim (Orsu), Duru Johnson (Ideato South), Ngozi Obiefule (Isu) and Hercules Okoro (Ohaji/Egbema), and Nnodumele Ekene (Orsu).
Others are Eddy Obinna (Aboh Mbaise), Samuel Otuibe (Ahiazu Mbaise), Uche Ogbuagu (Ikeduru).
After some months, Chiji Collins was impeached for “parliamentary misconduct” and was replaced with Hon Paul Emeziem.
Amara Iwuanyanwu emerged Deputy Speaker of the House and has remained in that position till date.
Emeziem has been impeached and replaced with Kennedy Ibe.
