ABIA STATE SPEAKER IMPEACHED BY 20 HONORABLE MEMBERS

The Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Martins Azubuike, has been impeached.

A new Speaker, Honourable Kennedy Njoku, has been sworn in.

Hon Azubuike was impeached today after 20 of the 24 lawmakers in the Assembly voted to impeach him.

It was gathered that the former Speaker looked rattled after all the lawmakers arrived at the Assembly complex earlier in the day.



Shortly after their arrival, an aide to Mr Azubuike sent all the journalists away from the premises.

One of the lawmakers, however, insisted that the journalists must stay to monitor the House proceedings.

The House of Assembly complex was reported to have been surrounded by armed Police personnel before the impeachment was effected.

There have been speculations in the past few days that the Speaker will be impeached today.

CKN News crew who were in Umuahia today learnt that Mr Azubuike is no longer in the good books of the powers that be in Abia politics,which decided to show him the way out.

It was alleged that he has in the past few weeks been lobbying several powerful indigenes to intervene on his behalf but this fell on deaf ears.

CKN News attempt to get further clarification from the Chief Press Secretary to Abia State Governor Appolos Enyinnaya was unsuccessful as at the time of going to press.