Imo Speaker Declares Ngor Okpala Constituency Seat Vacant, Suspends 3 Lawmakers

Imo State House of Assembly Speaker, Kennedy Ibeh, has declared the Ngor Okpala state constituency seat vacant, while  suspending three lawmakers.

Tochi Okere was the lawmaker representing Ngo Okpala constituency. 

Ibeh said the seat was declared vacant because the representative failed to attend one third of plenary sittings since he became a lawmaker in 2019.

The Speaker said checks on the assembly’s register showed that Okere attended plenary only 29 times in 2019, 14 times in 2020 while failing to attend any sitting in 2021. 

He said two petitions had been received from the lawmaker’s constituents, requesting the house to declare his seat vacant.

Following the declaration on Thursday, the Speaker called on the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC) to conduct a fresh election to elect a new representative for the constituency.

Meanwhile, the three suspended lawmakers are Authur Egwim (Ideato North), Ngozi Obiefule,(Isu), and Obinna Okwara (Nkwerre).

Ibeh said they were suspended for their failure to attend Governor Hope Uzodinma’s 2022 budget presentation.