Imo Speaker escapes with mace as lawmakers suspend him

Twenty-one out of the 27 lawmakers of the Imo State House of Assembly on Wednesday suspended the Speaker, Acho Ihim. The suspension of Ihim ...

Twenty-one out of the 27 lawmakers of the Imo State House of Assembly on Wednesday suspended the Speaker, Acho Ihim.

The suspension of Ihim came after he had adjourned the ongoing plenary and escaped with the maze after reading a letter announcing the lifting of the suspension placed on the 27 Local Government chairmen by the state lawmakers last week.

The 21 lawmakers immediately announced Chiendu Offor (Onuimo) of the Action Alliance as the interim Speaker.


They also announced the suspension of the Majority Leader of the House, Lugard Osuji; and elected Lloyd Chukwuemeka (Owerri North) in his place.

The Acting Speaker who later addressed journalists, said that the 21 lawmakers had served impeachment notices on Ihim and Osuji.

Ihim, in a bid to frustrate his colleagues from removing him, had allegedly ordered his aides to switch off the generator supplying electricity to the complex, but the visibly enraged lawmakers went on to impeach the two principal officers.

Trouble had started after the lawmakers raised objection to the letter announcing the lifting of the suspension of the 27 LGA chairmen.

The lawmakers had quoted Order 15 of the House Rule, which empowers lawmakers to contribute to issues before the Speaker rules, but Ihim said that no lawmaker was allowed to contribute to the matter.

The lawmakers were seen putting final touches to the impeachment notices as of the time of filing this report.