High court sets aside Okorocha-sponsored impeachment of deputy gov Madumere

Governor Rochas Okorocha’s clear plot that saw the recent impeachment of his deputy, Eze Madumere, by the state House of Assembly has suffered a setback.

This came as an Owerri High Court presided over by Justice Benjamin Iheaka, on Tuesday declared the impeachment of the deputy governor invalid and of no legal effect.

Imo indigenes had gathered in their numbers, filling the court room to the brim and anxiously waited the verdict of the judge on the vexed issue.

Giving his ruling in the matter, Justice Iheaka expressed disappointment over the actions of the Chief Judge (CJ) of the state, Paschal Nnadi, and the Attorney General of the state, Militus Nlemedim, both of whom he said failed to adhere to the provisions of section 188(5) of the 1999 constitution as amended in the impeachment of Madumere on July 31, 2018.

The judge argued that the CJ constituted the seven-man panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct by Madumere by the state House of Assembly outside the seven days lifeline as provided by the constitution.

Out of the 37 members of the state House of Assembly, 19 of them had on July 31, 2018 impeached Madumere over alleged misconduct.

His impeachment was despite a court order restraining the state’s Chief Judge, Speaker of the State House of Assembly and the lawmakers from taking any further action in the planned impeachment of Madumere until the hearing and determination of a case before it in which the deputy governor was seeking to stop his impeachment.

Madumere’s travail is believed to have been orchestrated by Governor Okorocha, following a lingering battle between the two former friends over the control of Imo State.

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The insistence of Madumere to be the next governor of the state against Okorocha’s vowed position to have his son-in-law and former Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu, as his successor has seen the duo in fierce battles.

The battle almost tore the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state apart as the party at a point broke into two factions; the Imo APC stakeholders led by Madumere, and the group loyal to Okorocha.

The Madumere’s faction had given Okorocha the shock of his life when they allegedly defeated his group during the APC congresses in the state. However, the court has since nullified the election of that congress.

By Ebere Ndukwu…

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