Abia Assembly: PDP legislators stage walkout during plenary

By Musa Baba Adamu

There was drama at the Abia State House of Assembly complex on Tuesday as aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) staged a walkout.
The PDP members, who are 11 in number, stormed out in protest over Friday’s announcement of new principal officers of the House, which saw the Majority Leader position and other key offices in the legislative house go to the Labour Party (LP) and Young Progressive Party (YPP).
Only the position of Minority Leader is still vacant as it was not among those announced by the Speaker.
Addressing the press on Tuesday on behalf of his colleagues, the member representing the Ukwa West constituency, Godwin Adiele, noted that the abrupt end to Friday’s seating was allegedly not captured in the minutes of Tuesday’s proceedings.
He added that PDP members asked the Speaker, Emmanuel Emeruwa, to hold on to other issues to allow the majority-minority issues to be resolved first.
He wondered why a political party with a majority of members should be made to assume the place of a minority in the assembly.
He insisted that Order 8, Rule 42 of the House should be followed, adding that PDP members may seek legal interpretation.
The walkout by PDP lawmakers took place on the day commissioner nominees were to be screened.
Speaker Emmanuel Emeruwa had announced that the emergence of new principal officers was a product of an understanding between the LP legislators and their counterparts from YPP and APC.