Ebonyi Speaker must answer for forgery, defamation

The Ebonyi State chapter of the People’s Democratic party (PDP) has vowed to ensure that the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Mr Francis Nwifuru, be made to answer for his alleged crimes of forging the signatures of some of its members in the House, particularly that of Deputy Speaker Chief Obasi Odefa.

Nwifuru had during an emergency sitting of the House on Monday declared Odefa’s seat vacant after he had read a letter purportedly written by the Deputy Speaker resigning his membership of the House.

He thereafter caused the election of the member representing Afikpo North West, Mr. Kingsley Ikoro, as the new Deputy Speaker of the House.

Nwifuru also read two other letters purportedly written by two other PDP lawmakers in the house announcing their defection from the PDP to the APC.

In a reaction, the state chairman of the PDP, Mr Tochukwu Okorie, described the actions of Speaker Nwifuru as a clear case of forgery, falsehood and impunity which he said cannot be allowed to stand.

He insisted that the documents upon which the Speaker and 14 other APC lawmakers relied upon to declare Odefa’s seat vacant, and to announce the defection of two of their members to APC were forged by the Speaker.

‘I am happy to announce that the attempted coup d’etat that happened in the desecrated chambers of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly which sought to forcefully remove from office the Deputy Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Odefa Obasi Odefa, has failed,’ he said.

‘Let me state categorically therefore that Odefa Obasi Odefa remains the undisputed substantive Deputy Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly as at today February 22, 2022.

‘It is a trite saying that you cannot put something on nothing. Therefore, falsehood, forgery, lies and impunity cannot and will never be allowed to take over Ebonyi State parliament irrespective of the powers behind such evil move.

‘The disgraceful document flying around purporting to be a resignation letter by the Honourable Deputy Speaker is nothing but an act of forgery perpetrated by no less a person than the (former) Speaker of the EBHA, Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru leading a handful of other members. It is a huge a shame that the leadership of the House could descend into such petty crimes and criminality to commit forgery and perjury, telling brazen lies, all in an effort to victimise the Deputy Speaker for daring the demigod of Ebonyi Government House by reaffirming his membership of our great party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

‘The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Ebonyi State has now more than ever been vindicated by this show of shame and the total desecretion of the alter of democracy and rule of law by a few renegade lawmakers who on the backing of Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State yesterday made attempt at truncating democracy and the rule of law in Ebonyi State.

'Consequently, the purported removal of the Deputy Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Odefa Obasi Odefa and subsequent declaration of his seat as vacant is not just an affront to constitutionalism, but an insult to the collective memory of the people of Ebonyi State and Nigeria at large.

‘This aberration has failed as it cannot stand, shall never stand and we are assuring the good people of Ebonyi State and indeed all Nigerians that the PDP shall remain firm and on the side of the law and therefore, will explore all legal avenues to restore the confidence of the electorate in the state parliament.

‘Similarly, as can be confirmed by their presence in our expanded state Working Committee Meeting of today and their presence in this press briefing, the jejune and forged letters read by 15 members of the House of Assembly to the effect that Mr Oliver Osi and Mrs Ngozi Eziulo had resigned their membership of the PDP and subsequently defected to the APC is also another sad case of brazen forgery and defamation for which the individual lawmakers have already resolved to seek redress in appropriate courts of law.

‘It is important to reiterate that the PDP Ebonyi State will leave no stone unturned in our determined and spirited effort to restore normalcy, law and order in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly and bring to justice all those who have conspired and have committed such heinous crimes bringing the state institutions of democracy to disrepute,’ he stated.