AWKA — THE Anambra State House of Assembly yesterday declared two seats vacant on account of non-attendance of house sessions by the members representing the constituencies.
The seats are those of Aguata I constituency occupied by the impeached speaker of the house, Mrs Eucharia Azodo and Nnewi South II occupied by Mr. Nelson Achukwu who has engaged Governor Chris Ngige in a protracted legal battle. The House said that the seats were declared vacant in accordance with Section 109(1)(f) and 3 of the 1999 constitution, which deals with the tenure of office of a member of House of Assembly.
Section 109(1)(F) states: “A member of a House of Assembly shall vacate his seat if without just cause he is absent from meetings of the House of Assembly for a period amounting in aggregate to more than one-third of the total number of days during which the House meets in any one year.
Sub-section 3 says: “A member of the House of Assembly shall be deemed to be absent without just cause from a meeting of the House of Assembly unless the person presiding officer certifies in writing that he is satisfied that the absence of the member from the meeting was for a just cause”.
Both Azodo and Achukwu were involved in the political crisis between Governor Chris Ngige and his estranged political godfather, Chief Chris Uba. Azodo was speaker of the House when Ngige’s alleged letter of resignation was accepted by the House leading to his aborted abduction. Achukwu was suspended by the House, and out of anger dragged Ngige to court saying he resigned as governor. Since the aborted abduction, the two have not been attending House sessions because they were suspended by the House, an action that seems not to agree with the relevant sections of the constitution.
Being under suspension from the House, they were said to have a cause to miss House sessions. The action of the House was prompted by a letter written to the Speaker by the clerk of the house, informing him (Speaker) that the seats were due to be declared vacant following non-appearance of the members representing the two constitutencies. After reading the letter on the floor of the House by the speaker, the motion for declaring the seats vacant was moved by majority leader of the House, Mr. Humphery Nsofor. The motion was seconded by Mr. O.C. Chinwuba.
Other members who spoke on the issue include Mr. Ben Chuks Nwosu, Ozo Ughamadu, deputy speaker, Mr. Echezona Okechi, representing Orumba South and Mr. Peter Onuorah. The motion was unanimously resolved that the two seats be declared vacant. The House is expected to write to INEC to inform the commission on the development and to mandate it to organize another election for the two constituencies.
