BY VICTOR NWEGEDE
No less than three (3) Honourable Members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly have allegedly resigned again.
NATIONAL PANEL REPORTERS gathered that the three lawmakers were all the members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and their seats have been declared vacant by their counterparts of the All Progressives Congress.
Briefing newsmen at Nkaliki, the State Assembly Premises, the member representing Ishielu North Constituency and the Chairman House Committee on Information, Hon. Chukwu Arize Lukas said the three Honorable members resigned and the House has to declare their seats vacant, saying that the INEC would conduct a fresh election to replace them.
He alleged that the three members tendered their resignation letters before the House.
The affected lawmakers, according to him, are Hon. Mrs Franca C. Okpo representing Abakaliki North State Constituency, Hon. Ali Kizito Okechukwu representing Ishielu North State Constituency and Hon. Victor U. Aleke representing Ebonyi North-West State Constituency.
Also, in a release by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the House, Mr Leo Ekene Oketa, stated that his Principal, Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, on Tuesday, received the letters from the three (3) Members of the State Assembly, notifying the House of their resignation as Honourable Members of Ebonyi State House of Assembly.
"Reading the letters at the floor of the House during Plenary Tuesday, March 15, 2022, Speaker Nwifuru revealed through the letters, that the three (3) Members resigned their seats after due consultations with their families, stakeholders and political associates. According to their letters which were all dated November 15, 2021, their resignations will avail them ample time to pursue other endeavours in their lives.
"Following the developments, the House accepted the letters as working documents and declared the seats of Abakaliki North, Ishielu North and Ebonyi North-West State Constituencies, vacant. The Honourable Speaker directed the clerk of the House to notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the development, for further actions as specified by law.
"Having done justice to all there were in the order paper for the day, the House proceeded on a 3 months recess," the release read in parts.
In his reaction, one of the affected members, Hon. Victor Aleke who spoke with our correspondent on phone said, the three PDP members of the House never tendered any resignation letter before the House, adding that the issues between PDP House members and that of APC are still in the court and described the APC members' sitting as illegal.
Recalled that the House declared the seats of the Deputy speaker and some members vacant for defecting to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party a few weeks ago.
