Police Seal off Anambra State Assembly to Factional Lawmakers

Men of the Nigeria Police force numbering over 200 sealed off the Anambra State House of Assembly on Thursday and prevented a select group of lawmakers from gaining access to the State Assembly complex.

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The select lawmakers denied access to the assembly complex includes the 20 members who had impeached the Speaker Rita Maduagwu, on the 13th of November.

The policemen had barricaded the state legislative complex as early as 8 am on Thursday morning.

Efforts by the factional Speaker, Ikem Uzoezie, and his group to persuade the policemen for about two hours to let them in to the complex failed.

Uzoezie then addressed Journalists at the gate decrying the police siege on the state assembly complex as unconstitutional and affront to democracy.

The 20 members locked out had impeached the speaker Rita Maduagwu for alleged financial impropriety, highhandedness, incompetence and gross misconduct.

The supposedly impeached Speaker as well as 11 of her supporters were however granted access to the chamber where she presided over plenary and pronounced her impeachment as a bundle of illegality.

The state government had openly shown support for Maduagwu while asking the aggrieved members of the House to sheathe their swords.

As a consequence of the crisis in the house, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Anambra State chapter, suspended the factional Speaker , Uzoezie; the Deputy Speaker, Hayford Oseke and Victor Okoye who were identified as the “ring leaders” of the impeachment plot.

The Police Public Relations Officer for Anambra state command, Haruna Mohammed, confirmed the police siege on the lawmakers.

He said the Police action was sequel to an application from the leadership of the House to protect the complex.

“We had earlier issued a press statement notifying the public of sealing off of the Assembly. We stand on that press statement.” He said.