[size=15pt]Enugu assembly speaker risks impeachment[/size]

By Ozioma Ubabukoh, Enugu

Tuesday, 4 Jan 2011



Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Mr. Eugene Odo, has come under threat of impeachment over last Thursday’s purported endorsement of the 2011 presidential ambition of former vice-president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, by members of the house.

The legislators, who received the aspirant on Thursday in the assembly chambers, had on Sunday denied supporting his bid.

They re-stated their commitment to the presidential ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan.

A source, however, told THE PUNCH that the presidency was worried about the role played by Odo in endorsing Abubakar. Some unnamed Presidency officials were said to have directed the Enugu State Governor, Mr. Sullivan Chime, to push for the impeachment of Odo.

According to the source, “If Chime fails to do so, he may find it difficult securing the ticket of Peoples Democratic Party for the governorship election in Enugu State .”

Jonathan, who was jolted by media reports of the endorsement of Abubakar by the legislators, became more uncomfortable with the speaker when additional information was given to him that the assembly had earlier suspended a female member, Elizabeth Ezeugwu, for attending a rally organised by his

It was learnt that Odo, sensing trouble lurking around him, on Sunday denied asking the house to endorse the former vice-president.

The speaker went further to postpone the resumption of the house from Tuesday (today) to January 20, 2011, to forestall any attempt to impeach him.

Our correspondent gathered that Odo met with his colleagues on Monday, but it could not be ascertained whether it was in connection with the alleged plot to remove him from office.

One of the legislators at the meeting stated that the members might not support the removal of the speaker, as he had been carrying them “along since he was elected to lead the House in June 2007.”

When contacted, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Mr. Marcel Njeze, said there was no such plan.

Njeze said, “Even Governor Sullivan Chime, knows that members of the house never meant what they said when Atiku visited the house.

“The governor knows that we were making a caricature of the former vice-president. Nobody wants to impeach the speaker. It is not true. There is nothing like that.

“Chime also knows that our support lies with Jonathan and not Atiku.”

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201101043113678

Story story? story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is just newspaper politics as a consequence of GEJ's underhand tactics.

Its alright to make all this noise on the eve of elections. But if GEJ looses the primary what will he do? purnish everybody who did not vote for him one way or the order? Now that will take some effort.

GEJ will fail and there is nothing he will do about it. Oghiadomhe and Orubebe will sponsor all sorts of attacks on Nwodo but it will be too late to change anything.

And GEJ will be in the longest lameduck session of his life.