Tensions escalated at the Abia State House as the Speaker, Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, suspended the House sitting amid the controversy over majority party positions.
The issue arose when the speaker recognized Hon. Uchenna Okoro of the LP/Arochukwu constituency as the majority leader, sparking protests from lawmakers from the PDP who claimed to be the majority party and demanded the majority leader, deputy majority leader, chief whip, and deputy chief whip positions.
The PDP has 11 members, LP has 10, while YPP has 2 and APC has 1 member. The speaker announced that, based on an agreement with the YPP and APC members, the LP had become the majority party in the House.
However, the PDP vehemently opposed this and refused to let the minority parties assume what they considered their rightful positions.
Chief Solomon Akpulonu, representing Obingwa East state constituency, raised a point of order, asserting that the Abia State House of Assembly does not have a majority leader and urged the speaker to read a letter from the state PDP leadership.
Akpulonu emphasized that the rules of the House mandate that the majority party must hold the majority leader, deputy majority leader, chief whip, and deputy chief whip positions.
The PDP lawmakers requested that the speaker read the letter from the PDP leadership, but the speaker insisted that he would not be dictated to on how to run the House and abruptly ended the sitting. The House subsequently entered into an executive session.
It is important to note that there were conflicting claims regarding the majority party positions, leading to a heated dispute between the PDP and the LP, resulting in the suspension of the House sitting.
