Count me out of Abia Assembly crisis — Member-elect

A member-elect for Obingwa West State Constituency of Abia, Mr Uchenna Erondu (Jnr.), has dissociated himself from the crisis currently rocking the house, leading its factionalisation.

Erondu stated this in a statement issued on Thursday and made available to newsmen in Umuahia.

“It beats my imagination that my name could be associated with such crisis when I have yet to become a member of the house,” he stated.

He pleaded with those spreading “the unfounded and malicious allegations to stop forthwith,” adding that it would not serve them any useful purpose.

16 of the 24-member assembly had on Tuesday, impeached the Speaker, Mr Chinedum Orji, over alleged gross misconduct.

Orji in turn organised an emergency plenary session attended by eight members, plus himself, where they announced the suspension of the nine members involved in his purported impeachment.

It was alleged that Erondu, who is  former aide to Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, had galvanised and finanacially induced the 16 members to effect the change of speakership of the seventh assembly.

However, Erondu said that at no time did he give money to any legislator nor engaged anyone “to obtain the buy-in of members of the assembly” on his behalf.

“I advise the idle minds manufacturing these lies and rumours and seeking to drag my name down to look for a meaningful venture to engage their brains rather than this reckless path of character assassination,” he added.