The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State has voiced its frustration over the six-month delay in the inauguration of Hon. Aaron Uzodike, who was re-elected to represent the Aba North State Constituency in the 2023 elections.
The party highlighted that despite the issuance of a Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on December 13, 2023, following a court order, the inauguration has been unnecessarily delayed.
In an interview with journalists in Umuahia, Abraham Amah, the Vice Chairman of the PDP in Abia, criticized the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emereuwa, for not inaugurating the re-elected lawmaker. Amah stated, “It is a government that creates room for checks and balances. Are you aware that one of the cases handled by the Appeal Court involved a member of the state House of Assembly, representing Aba North State Constituency? This is almost more than seven months after the Court of Appeal gave judgment in favor of Aaron Uzodike.”
Amah condemned the situation as a violation of democratic principles, noting that members of other political parties declared winners by the Court of Appeal have already been inaugurated. He pointed out that Aaron Uzodike might be the only one from the last election yet to be inaugurated, despite winning the election. “Seven months later, the government has yet to allow Aaron Uzodike to be inaugurated in the House of Assembly. So, what type of government is that?” he questioned.
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Amah emphasized that the Independent National Electoral Commission issued a Certificate of Return within one week in compliance with the Court of Appeal’s directive, after it was confirmed that Aaron Uzodike had won the election. He further noted, “If you look at the center, they have inaugurated the non-All Progressives Congress members who were declared winners by the same Court of Appeal in the lower and upper houses, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. Even when such declarations were against the interests of APC, those persons have been inaugurated.”
In response, the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emereuwa, indicated plans to swear in Uzodike as a lawmaker. During a press briefing marking one year of the 8th Abia House of Assembly, Emereuwa explained that the delay was due to various legal interventions by the contenders to the position, Uzodike and Destiny Nwagwu of the Labour Party.
