13/06/2023
Silence on the Inauguration of the 8th Abia House of Assembly: Attempts to subvert democracy in Abia State
A few days ago, the life of the 7th Abia State House of Assembly came to a glorious end with a valedictory session led by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Engr. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji. That done, Abians expected before now that the State governor, Dr. Alex Otti would follow the constitutionally outlined procedure of breathing life into State House of Assembly by issuing a Proclamation that would convene members-elect of the 8th Abia State House of Assembly for their first session and subsequent election of their presiding and principal officers.
Unfortunately, that has not happened and Abians are curious to know the cause of the delay and the deafening silence on the part of the governor, more especially as other States including the National Assembly have all been inaugurated and presiding officers elected. This development is worrisome because our system of government operates on a tripod of the executive, legislature and judiciary with each serving as a check on the probable misuse of power by another.
More worrisome is the fact that Abia PDP has very credible and reliable intelligence that the governor, Dr. Alex Otti and the Labour Party are working behind the scene to issue a silent proclamation in a few days time and in the process lock out the members of the PDP with a view to allowing only the Labour Party members-elect to convene and elect the presiding officers of the 8th Abia State House of Assembly. This is a joke taken too far and presents desperate efforts by the governor and his Party to subvert democracy in Abia State.
Today, the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives were inaugurated peacefully following the Proclamation issued by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In Abuja, no member of any political Party was locked out and neither the Inspector General of Police nor the Director General of the Directorate of State Security was petitioned to put orderliness into the conduct of the exercise.
We call on the governor and members of the Labour Party to perish the thought of secretly convening the first session and do the right thing by issuing a Proclamation for the inauguration of the 8th Abia State House of Assembly, publicise the date very well and ensure that all members-elect are present and unencumbered to elect their leaders. This is in the best interest of our democracy and serves to protect the good future that awaits all of us if we do the right things.
Abia PDP uses this opportunity to alert our irrepressible and gallant security agencies in Abia to rise to the occasion and forestall any attempt by the Labour Party to carry out its plan because it would amount to a subversion of the independence of the three arms of government which is the bedrock of our democracy and likely to torpedo the trademark peace in the State, made possible by the last PDP government. We are very confident that the security agencies would not allow any breach of the peace in Abia because they are known to be very dutiful and diligent, especially with the new helmsman of the Abia State Police Command who is an accomplished officer and a gentleman.
To the members of the PDP and the good people of Abia State, we call on everybody to remain calm, peaceful and law abiding.
*PDP - Power to the People!
Signed
Hon. Elder Abraham Amah
Abia PDP Vice Chairman/Acting State Publicity Secretary
