Members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly on Friday commenced impeachment proceedings against the state governor, Martin Elechi after a prolonged political squabble in which the governor was accused of corruption and gross misconduct.
The political crisis in the state had lingered defying several attempts to resolve the it in the past.
The motion to commence impeachment moves against the governor was passed after the acting Majority Leader of the House, Francis Nwifruru, at the sitting on Friday, listed details of the governor’s infractions.
According to the lawmakers, the governor undermined the integrity of the House, apart from engaging in corruption while in office.
The impeachment move against the governor followed a petition from a group, the Ebonyi Integrity Group, accusing the governor of corrupt practices. The House then instituted a panel headed by Odefa Odefa, a member representing Onicha South, to investigate the allegations and make a report to the House.
One of the petitions stated that the governor, his son, Elechi Elechi, Edward Nkwegu, and others inflated contract sums and illegally used state funds for private gains. These petitions were adopted through a motion sponsored by Ogbonnaya Nwifuru, a member representing Izzi West State Constituency.
There had been political tension in the state following the squabbles between Elechi and some top politicians in the state.
The governor had even complained publicly, while hosting members of Ezza Ezzekuna Youth Congress, who paid him a solidarity visit recently, that some prominent politicians were doing everything possible to send him away from the Government House.
He told the group that the top politicians plotting his removal had vowed to govern the state at all cost and that they had been holding secret meetings on how to impeach him.
He said they were calling him a bad person and that if he remains in power they will not have their way of ruling the state.
“All I can say is that if they sack me, I will relocate to my home,” Elechi said.
On Friday, the House sitting, presided over by the Speaker, Chukwuma Nwazunku, finally approved that the House serve the governor an impeachment notice.
