Abia Assembly Swears in Lawmaker, 9 Months After Court Judgement

The Abia House of Assembly, yesterday, swore in Mr. Aaron Uzodike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Aba North State Constituency. Uzodike replaced Mr. Destiny Nwangwu of the Labour Party (LP), who was dismissed by the Court of Appeal.

His inauguration comes almost nine months after a court of appeal situated in Lagos nullified the election of Nwangwu. The tribunal had, on November 27, 2023, announced Uzodike, who was a member of the seventh legislature, as the rightful winner of the March 25, 2023 state assembly election, overturning the initial victory of Destiny Nwangwu from the Labour.

 The court had directed the instant withdrawal of the Certificate of Return earlier presented to Nwangwu by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Following the order, INEC presented a fresh certificate of return to the PDP candidate. Uzodike’s swearing-in was, however, postponed after it was alleged that the court judgement was surrounded by disagreement.

The Clerk of the House, Mr. JohnPedro Irokansi, administered the oath of office and oath of allegiance on him during the full session.

In a short remark after the swearing-in ceremony, Mr Emmanuel Emeruwa felicitated with Uzodike on behalf of other lawmakers on his return to the House.

Speaking with journalists later, Uzodike assured to provide good representation to his constituents. He thanked God, Gov. Alex Otti, and the Speaker for their support in his assumption of office. “Delay is not denial; the end justifies the means, and I want to say that every position you are occupying is from divine providence”, he said.

However, the Assembly has approved changes to the Local Government Amendment Bill. The proposed bill, introduced by the Majority Leader, Uchenna Okoro, representing Arochukwu Constituency, aims to pave the way for the smooth conduct of the upcoming local government elections.

Following this, the lawmakers adjourned their session until September 24th.