Abia Speaker bows to pressure, inaugurates lawmaker declared elected by appeal court

The Speaker of the Abia House of Assembly, Emmanuel Emeruwa, has inaugurated Aaron Uzodike, a lawmaker who was declared elected by an appeal court.

Initial refusal to inaugurate lawmaker

Mr Uzodike contested in the 2023 general election for Abia North State Constituency, Abia State, South-east Nigeria, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

But the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Destiny Nwangwu of the Labour Party (LP) election winner in the constituency.

Dissatisfied, Mr Uzodike challenged the victory of the LP candidate at the Court of Appeal in Lagos State.

The court, in its judgment on 27 November 2023, nullified the election of Mr Nwangwu and ordered the immediate withdrawal of the certificate of return earlier issued to the LP candidate.

It subsequently declared Mr Uzodike the winner of the exercise and ordered INEC to issue a fresh certificate of return to the PDP candidate.

The Court of Appeal is the highest court for adjudication of disputes over elections in federal and state legislatures.

PREMIUM TIMES exclusively obtained a letter sent by INEC to the clerk of the state assembly announcing the withdrawal of the certificate of return from the Labour Party candidate.

The letter, dated 13 December 2023 and signed by INEC secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony, was received by the clerk of the House on 18 December of the same year.

Upon the inauguration of the Abia State Assembly last year, the PDP had the majority with 11 members. While the LP had ten members, the YPP had two members, and the APC had only one member.

However, the LP dropped to nine members after the Court of Appeal nullified Mr Nwangwu’s election, while the number of PDP seats in the House increased to 12.

In May, the two lawmakers from the YPP defected to the LP to increase seats to 11.

The state governor, Alex Otti, is a member of the LP. He won the 18 March 2023 governorship election on the party’s platform.

The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Emeruwa, also belongs to the LP.

The speaker has the responsibility to ensure the inauguration of the PDP candidate in compliance with the Court of Appeal judgement.

‘Order from the above’

Mr Uzodike had told PREMIUM TIMES in April that, on 14 December 2023, he submitted all the documents needed for his inauguration to the House of Assembly.

The documents which he submitted include the certificate of return issued to him by INEC, the certified true copy of the court judgement that declared him the winner of the election and the INEC’s letter notifying the clerk of the House of the withdrawal of Mr Nwangwu’s certificate of return.

The politician said that after submitting the documents, the speaker of the House, Mr Emeruwa, scheduled his inauguration for 18 January but later sent a message to him on the same day that it would not hold any longer.

He added that, on 16 April, he visited the assembly chambers after the House reconvened following Easter break and presented himself for the inauguration.

He said, again, the speaker did not allow him to make a presentation or inaugurate him.

The Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Mr Emeruwa, declined to speak when contacted in April for comments.

‘The court did not mandate me to inaugurate him’

Earlier, while interacting with reporters in June in Umuahia, Mr Emeruwa admitted that the Appeal Court in Lagos declared Mr Uzodike winner and mandated INEC to give him a certificate of return

The Speaker, however, claimed “a Federal High Court of Appeal, Abuja”, later interpreted the certified true copy of the Appeal Court in Lagos and affirmed that the court ruling did not mandate him to swear in the lawmaker.

There is no court in Nigeria known as the “Federal High Court of Appeal” that Mr Emeruwa referred to.

Finally inaugurated

When contacted, Mr Uzodike confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that he was finally inaugurated on Tuesday.

The lawmaker expressed gratitude to PREMIUM TIMES and others who pressured the assembly to inaugurate him.

His inauguration is coming exactly 14 months after the Abia Assembly was inaugurated on 14 June 2023.

‘Democracy won at last’

A former Commissioner for Information in Abia State, John Kalu, has congratulated the lawmaker on his inauguration.

Chief John Okiyi Kalu, Commissioner for Information, Abia State

“Though delayed by anti-democratic forces in Abia State who want to play God, we are happy democracy and rule of law won at last,” Mr Kalu said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

The former commissioner praised Nigerian media for refusing to be silenced by individuals behind the refusal to inaugurate the lawmaker.

“Hopefully, Honourable Aaron will receive all his dues and that of the good people of Aba North that were withheld since December 2023,” he said.

Mr Kalu urged Mr Uzodike to redouble his efforts to work for his people and carry young people along.

“Good politics must focus on the welfare of the people above all things, and God has graciously given you a second chance to make a massive impact,” he told the lawmaker.