The dust raised by the election of new principal officers in the Abia State House of Assembly may not have settled, as a ranking PDP legislator, Solomon Akpulonu has insisted his party remains the majority party in the House, by virtue of its elected members.
Akpulonu who represents Obingwa East in the Assembly, was among the PDP lawmakers who kicked against Friday’s announcement of new principal officers, where PDP did not get any position, despite having 11 members in the Assembly.
At plenary last Friday, the Speaker, Emmanuel Emeruwa announced the names of new principal officers, with no PDP lawmaker making the list.
The Speaker who explained that two members of YPP and one member of the APC aligned with the LP before the emergence of the principal officer, said the understanding between the three parties paved the way for the smooth emergence of the principal officers.
But rejecting the outcome again on Tuesday, the member representing PDP in Obi Ngwa East, Akpulonu maintained that his party remained the majority party, with 11 members.
He accused the executive arm of government in the state of allegedly midwifing the current situation in the Abia Assembly, arguing that his PDP will never accept the position of a minority.
” There is no rule or law in the House of Assembly that mandates the Speaker to announce principal officers. It was a matter of courtesy but unfortunately, the Speaker came and announced a majority leader ”
” We can not take the position of the minority because we are not the minority”
He further dismissed the understanding between LP, YPP and APC on the floor of the House, insisting that the lawmakers who supported LP should have resigned the membership of their own political parties for such an alliance to be legal.
Records from the 8th Abia State House of Assembly as obtained by DAILY POST put positions as follows:
Speaker, LP, Deputy Speaker, LP, Majority Leader, LP, Deputy Majority Leader, LP, Chief Whip, LP and Deputy Chief Whip, YPP.
The position of the Minority was not announced as the House adjourned for the next legislative session.