By Ezeocha Nzeh
Tension, fears have greeped the Imo state House of Assembly members as the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), may have intensified efforts to using the judiciary to reclaim all their seats occupied by former members who defected from the party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)
A State Executive Committee member of the Imo state chapter of the PDP hinted to NNS that the party will soon a ;legal battle to reclaim its seats occupied by 17 out of the 27 lawmakers of the state House of Assembly who defected from the PDP to the APC, following a January 2021 Supreme Court rul;ing that proclaimed Senator Hope Uzodimma as the duly elected Governor of the state, as against Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, who was earlier declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
It would be recalled that the lawmakers in question defected to the All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Action Alliance (AA) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), respectively immediatelr the Supreme Court proclaimrd Hope Uzodimma, who is of the APC winner of the Imo state Governorship election.
The PDP Executive member hinted that the party will seek a legal action to reclaim its lost seats, arguing that the High Court rulings in Ebonyi and Cross River States have given it the strength to pursue the return of its mandates
After the ruling that earlier sacked Governor Dave of Umaghi of Ebonyi state and his House of Assembly members for defection from the PDP to the APC, another court judgement on Monday also sacked 20 members of the Cross River State House of Assembly who defected with the Governor of the State, Ben Ayade, from the PDP to the APC.
Motivated by the development, Imo PDP saiod it has reactivated iots earlier filed suit challenging the defection of their members at the Imo State House of Assembly.
In the suit No. FHC/Ow/27/2020 filed by their counsel, Nath Epele and Co., the plaintiffs are asking the Federal High Court, sitting in Owerri to declare the seats of the defendants vacant by virtue of the fact that they defected from the party that brought them to power into another party.
A review of the defections indicates that former Speaker, Collins Chiji, representing Isiala Mbano, had abandoned his former party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, under whose platform he was elected to the House and declared for PDP, which won the 2019 governorship election in order to grab the speakership.
However few days after the January 14, 2020, Supreme Court judgment, which sacked Emeka Ihedioha and declared Hope Uzodimma of APC as governor, Chiji, along with other members, moved to the APC to retain his position.
Also Hon. Chigozie Nwaneri, announced his defection on the floor of the House, while others wrote letters of defection.
Others who were elected under the AA also dumped the party and joined the APC aincluded Uju Onwudiwe, Ngozie Obiefule, Johnson Duru, Arthur Egwim, Obinna Okwara, Heclus Okoro and the current speaker, Kennedy Ibe.
In the same train APGA lost Hon Amara Iwuanyanwu, (Nwangele LGA) who is the current deputy speaker, Chidiebere Ogbunikpa (Okigwe LGA), Paul Emeziem (Onuimo LGA); Ekene Nnodim (Orsu LGA); and Onyemaechi Njoku (Ihitte/Uboma) who defected to the APC
Those who dumped PDP for APC included the current Majority Leader, Kanayo Onyemaechi (Owerri West), former Majority Leader, Uche Oguagu {Ikeduru LGA), Eddy Obinna (Aboh Mbaise), Samuel Otibe (Ahiazu Mbaise).
