Confusion as Ebonyi House of assembly declared Four seat vacant

Confusion as Ebonyi Assembly declares four seats vacant: The Ebonyi State House of Assembly on Wednesday declared the seats of four members vacant for defecting to another political party. The Speaker, Chukwuma Nwazunku, while reading the resolution, said that the affected members violated section 109, sub section 1G of the 1999 constitution as amended by defecting to another political party without stipulated party guidelines. “The affected members include: Eni Uduma- Chima (PDP-Afikpo South West), Sam Nwali (PDP-Ikwo North), Helen-Nwaobashi (PDP— Abakaliki South) and Mabel Aleke (PDP— Ohaukwu South). “They defected to another party without due consultation to the laid down rules stipulated by the PDP under which platform they were elected as members of the House,” Mr. Nwazunku said. “Their actions brings the integrity of the House into disrepute, as the declaration of vacancy to their seats takes effect from Feb.11, 2015. “We therefore inform the State Commissioner of Police, State Security Service, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant agencies, on the matter for appropriate actions to be taken.” But one of the affected members, Mr. Uduma- Chima, said the speaker and the members may have erroneously shot themselves in the foot as the resolutions means that the 24-member House has come to an end as it no longer has the minimum required number as stipulated in the constitution. His words, “the purported declaration of four seats vacant in the House of Assembly would mean the end of the activities of the Fourth Assembly until a bye- election is conducted because by the provision of section 91 of the 1999 constitution as amended, ‘a House of Assembly shall consist of..Read more at: http://afikpochictimes.com/?p=4068 | Afikpo Chic Times http://www.facebook.com/Ndi.Igbo/photos/ a.493310898408.258548.127503268408/ 10152853359328409/?type=1&relevant _count=1