Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma is reportedly upset with Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas for allegedly undermining him and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state by elevating Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, a member of the House from his state.
The Speaker boosted Ugochinyere, a member of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), by designating him as the head of the House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), which infuriated the governor of Imo State, who is running for re-election.
According to reports, the governor believed that the lawmaker’s selection to lead the juicy committee represented an excessive empowerment of an opposition politician and would increase Ugochinyere’s notoriety and exposure in the political arena.
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According to a source, Uzodinma is concerned that Ugochinyere’s leadership of the strategic House committee has improved the standing of the opposition member and contributed value.
According to the source, Uzodinma believed that excessive patronage and empowerment of the opposition forces by the federal government, particularly someone with Ugochinyere’s political status, could harm his chances of winning reelection.
According to reports, the governor had asked Abbas to cancel the appointment, but the Speaker had refused.
When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu returns from his international trip, it is anticipated that he will step in to mediate the conflict between Abbas and the governor.
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One of the sources who craved anonymity said, “The governor of Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodinma, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Tajudeen Abbas, are in for a serious fight, which has been brought to the attention of the Presidency. The governor is unhappy that Mr. Speaker appointed a cantankerous politician from his state, Ugochinyere, as chairman, House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream).
“To the governor, this is not a wise decision to take by the Speaker. How can an astute opposition element in Imo State like Ikenga be given such a strategic appointment in the House? This is an election period, and the House is patronising the opposition politicians from the state so that they can have the impetus and resources to fight us.
“This is the same Ikenga who has been rubbishing the governor and saying all kinds of nonsense about our party, APC, and he is the same person they are patronising with this juicy job by a top-ranking official of an APC’s government. This is unfair and insensitive. How do we grow a party this way?
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“They are giving positions meant for APC members to the opposition lawmakers. To worsen the situation, the person Mr. Speaker is patronising in Imo state has now been appointed as DG of the governorship election campaign council of the main opposition party, PDP.”
“The governor has been appealing to the Speaker to withdraw the appointment of Imo Ugochinyere as chairman of the petroleum committee since it was made public on July 27, but he called the governor’s bluff. How can Mr. Speaker humiliate the chairman of PGF this way?
“This situation has compelled the governor to bring this development to the attention of Mr. President. We expected the President to call the Speaker to order when he returned from his foreign trip. Ugochinyere must be removed, and his ego must be deflated. Continuous patronage of the opposition elements by our leaders at the national level is an attempt to kill the party,” another source in Uzodinma’s government said.
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