Lawmakers Suspend Imo Speaker After Escaping With Mace

Twenty-one lawmakers of the Imo State House of Assembly has suspended the Speaker, Acho Ihim.

This is coming after the impeached Speaker 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.

21 lawmakers out of 27 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.

Addressing newsmen, Acho Ihim 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 an 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.