Drama in Anambra assembly as speaker flees with mace
The Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Rita Maduagwu, yesterday escaped with the mace to avoid impeachment by the chamber dominated by members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
Daily Trust gathered that the lawmakers had perfected a plan to impeach her, following alleged grievances against her, ranging from her refusal to share with them some of the largesse that had accrued to her office from the governor, and also blocking their moves to get theirs.
“The speaker, having received information of the plan to impeach her at yesterday’s plenary, refused to join her colleagues for the session after the bell signifying the commencement of plenary was rung,” a source said.
The source further revealed that shortly before the commencement of the executive session, the Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, paid a surprise visit to the assembly without his retinue of aides and went for a closed door meeting with most of the legislators.
Daily Trust further gathered that the reason for visiting the assembly was to prevail on the members not to impeach the speaker.
He, however, declined interview from journalists as he left the assembly.
Efforts made by members of the assembly to bring the speaker to the chambers for the plenary were unsuccessful as they noticed she had left the complex with the mace.
Meanwhile, members, who were hell bent on impeaching her had also produced an improvised mace with the hope of carrying out the task, but were stopped by some pro-speaker lawmakers, led by Hon Obinna Emenaka, who seized the mace and insisted on an adjournment.
The chairman house committee on information, Kingsley Iruba, told journalists that, “the house had its normal sitting, except for the absence of the speaker and his deputy as well as the clerk and deputy clerk of the house.
Iruba said the sitting was adjourned for Tuesday next week.
As at the time of filing this report, a source close to the Anambra government told Daily Trust that the members of the house had been invited to the governor’s lodge for a meeting.