Following the replacement of erstwhile Chairman of Obingwa LGA, Hon Ibe Micheal Nwoke , the Abịa State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr Eze Chikamnayo has said that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu acted in accordance with the laws and cannot be faulted.
Chikamnayo who spoke to newsmen at Government House Umuahia on the side lines of the swearing in ceremony of Hon. Uloma Nwogu as the new chairman of Obingwa LGA said the law states that resigning from the party that one used to get into an elective position amounts to loosing the position.
Recall that Governor Ikpeazu had during the swearing in ceremony justified the action of the state government saying it had earlier received a letter dated 23 May, 2022 and titled ‘Resignation of My Party Membership’ written by the former chairman of Obingwa LGA, Mr Ibe Nwoko who had defected from the PDP to YPP.
Ikpeazu who cited Section
23(1)f of the Abia State Local Government Laws no 2 of 2006 said in consonance with the laws,the consequence of Nwoke’s resignation letter amounts to breaching the provisions of the law adding that defecting to another party makes it imperative that a new chairman would be sworn in to take over the realms of power.
Chikamnayo who is also a legal practitioner said: “There is no controversy in the defection of the former chairman of Obingwa . It’s a democratic dispensation that we are running and he has exercised his democratic franchise to decide whether to be a member of the ruling party the PDP or to go any other party.
“It is democratic and Our Governor is a democrat. He respects the democratic right of every citizens of Abia state as protected by the constitution of Nigeria.
“You know that actions and reactions are equal and opposite. There are consequences to every action. In this case, we have constitutional consequences, that are enshrined in the 2006 law of the local governments in Abia State.
“We are here for constitutionality, we are for due processes, we are here for democracy and the swearing in of Mrs Uluoma as the new chairman of Obingwa Local government is the beauty of democracy. It’s the beauty of the constitution, it’s the beauty of the rule of law.
“The law is very straightforward.It is an explicit law and It contemplates that as soon as you leave your party, you loose the seat because that seat belongs to the party and not the individual.
“That has been tested by the constitutional court up to the supreme court wherein the supreme court has made it very clear that votes in an election belong to the political party and not to the individual contesting.
“Court injunctions do not take vitro active effect these court inductions that we hear about came as an after thoughts. They came as after the chairman has been removed by the legislative council of Obingwa..so they came after the act and to that extent of there’s no effect whatsoever to the activity of today”, Chikamnayo said.
He therefore advised politicians to play by the rules at all times and to avert themselves of the relevant sections of the constitution before they take any far reaching political decision.
