Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has debunked reports that the State House of Assembly has concluded plans to impeach Governor Okezie Ikpeazu after the party lost the just concluded governorship election.
The ruling PDP lost all three senatorial seats (Abia North – APC; Abia Central – LP; and Abia South – APGA), several House of Assembly seats, and ultimately the governorship position, which the Labour Party won.
Regardless, the PDP described the report of imminent impeachment of the governor as fake, saying the party leaders have met with its members in the Abia State House of Assembly,a s well as members of the opposition party.
The party made the clarification via a statement on Saturday by its Vice Chairman and Acting State Publicity Secretary, Elder Abraham Amah.
Amah said: “The rumours are just the wild imaginations of rumour mongers and detractors who are bent on destroying the peaceful legacy Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has built in his eight-year tenure as the governor of Abia State.
“The impeachment is a hoax because the governor has not committed any impeachable offence that will warrant members of the Abia State House of Assembly impeaching him in about two months to the end of his meritorious and peaceful service to the good people of Abia State.
“It is on record that Dr Okezie Ikpeazu as the Governor of Abia State in the past eight years did his best within the circumstances he found himself and Abia State. At last count, he is leaving Abia more peaceful than he met it eight years ago and anybody who is sincere to himself will attest to this extant truth.
“As a man of peace that he is, Governor Ikpeazu quickly congratulated the winner of the Abia governorship election Dr Alex Otti and offered to provide him with a smooth transition that will enable him to hit the ground running once he is sworn into office. Such an exemplary display of political sportsmanship is very rare in our polity and Dr Okezie Ikpeazu deserves the commendations of all and not rumours that put him in a bad light.”
The Abia PDP Vice Chairman, however, urged residents of the State to disregard the impeachment rumour, saying it is false and has no bearing on the duties and preoccupation of members of the State Assembly “who are working day and night for a seamless transfer of power from one government to another”.
And more specifically, members of the State House of Assembly also dismissed the rumour of their plan to impeach the governor.
The Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ifeanyi Uchendu; Majority Leader of the House, Solomon Akpulonu and the Minority Leader, Chukwu Chijioke jointly described the rumour as a figment of the imagination of the purveyors.
The lawmakers said the governor has done well in the State and the House is happy with him, hence there is no need for his impeachment.
According to them, those carrying the rumour are only doing that to malign the State House of Assembly.
They urged Abians to disregard the unfounded rumour, while assuring that they would continue to support Ikpeazu for him to complete his tenure successfully.