Reprieve for Elechi as Seven Lawmakers Jettison Impeachment Plan

Christopher Isiguzo Reprieve may have finally come the way of the embattled Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Martin Elechi, as seven out of the 15 members of the House of Assembly who endorsed an impeachment notice against him yesterday declared their readiness to discontinue with the project.

The House of Assembly had on February 27 passed an impeachment motion against the governor for alleged gross misconduct.

In an eight-count charge signed by 15 lawmakers and read on the floor of the assembly by the acting Leader, Ogbonnaya Nwifuru, the lawmakers declared that the alleged gross misconduct was a clear violation of the constitution, which prompted them to endorse the notice of impeachment on the governor.

The assembly had earlier declared the seats of six members vacant for defecting to the Labour Party (LP) leaving it with only 18 members. Though a total of nine lawmakers, including those whose seats were declared vacant led by Hon. Eni Uduma, had expressed their opposition to the impeachment process.

But, briefing journalists in Enugu yesterday, the Minority Leader of the assembly, Hon. Enyi Enyi, said after a thorough review of the situation in the state, a group of seven out of the 15 that initially endorsed the impeachment notice also known as Integrity Group decided to discontinue with the process in the interest of peace and harmony in the state.

“Our decision to withdraw from the impeachment plot was informed by far-reaching consultations within and outside our constituencies. We were also touched by the deep political counselling from our leaders and elders which indicated that the long time demerits of the action would surpass whatever short term merits it may present.

“Most importantly, we were alarmed at the discovery that the impeachment, if consummated, would spew deep political bad blood and dichotomy between the two political blocs in the state. Moreover, if we pursue this to a logical end, each of us would wear the stigma and badge of dishonour as the lawmakers who impeached their governor and the first set of legislators to impeach a sitting governor in the South-east.

“We are not prepared to earn any stigma that could outlive our tenures and political careers and even affect our children,” Enyi, who claimed to have spoken for the seven members who though he refused to name, noted.

He noted that plans to remove the governor started last year but was delayed until recently, noting that: “With the situation of things, the exercise remain dead forever. We declare that no amount of monetary oxygen would resurrect it as long as the business of impeachment is predicated on the arithmetic provided in the constitution.”