The Abia State Peoples Democratic Party has strongly criticised the prolonged delay in inaugurating Aaron Uzodike, who was re-elected as the member representing Aba North State Constituency in the 2023 elections.

Uzodike was issued a Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission on the December 13, 2023, following a court order.

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Recall that the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Emmanuel Emereuwa, had said that the House was working towards the swearing-in of Uzodike as a lawmaker.

Emeruwa, who gave the assurance during a press briefing as part of activities marking one year of the 8th Abia House of Assembly, explained that the various legal interventions instituted by the contenders to the position, Uzodike and Destiny Nwagwu of the Labour Party were instrumental to the delay.

But in an interview with Freelanews, the Vice Chairman of the party, Abraham Amah, expressed dismay over the failure to inaugurate Uzodike despite the court’s directive.

Amah faulted the action, pointing out that members declared winners by the Court of Appeal from other political parties had been duly inaugurated at the national level.

He added that the delay was a breach of democratic principles and called for urgent action to rectify the situation.

Amah said, “It is a government that creates room for checks and balances. Are you aware that one of the cases handled by the Appeal Court involved a member of the state House of Assembly, representing Aba North State Constituency? This is almost more than seven months after the Court of Appeal gave judgment, Aaron Uzodike.

“We asked that Aaron Uzodike should be declared winner and directed INEC, which is the umpire responsible for managing that election, to issue a certificate of return for Aaron Uzodike. It did not take one week for INEC to comply with the directive of the Court of Appeal.

“Then seven months later, the government has yet to allow Aaron Uzodike to be inaugurated in the House of Assembly. So, what type of government is that?

“If you go to the centre, they put the lower and the upper house, the Senate and the House of Representatives have inaugurated the non-All Progressives Congress members who were declared winners by the same Court of Appeal.

“They have inaugurated them. Even when such declarations were against the interests of APC, such persons have been inaugurated.”