Moves to impeach the Deputy Governor of Abia State, Rt. Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu, by members of the State House of Assembly has been uncovered, THE WHISPERER can report.
It was gathered at the weekend that members of the House of Assembly had been meeting consistently to perfect plans to remove Ude Oko Chukwu from office.
But sources say the decision may not be unconnected with his undisguised ambition to take over the reins of power after the administration of Okezie Ikpeazu.
Mr. Ude Oko Chukwu’s ambition has been a source of worry for Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, whose political permutations about his likely successor when he vacates office come 2023, shows that Mr. Ude Oko Chukwu is not his anointed governorship candidate.
The Deputy Governor had on Friday in Umuahia, declared his intention to contest the governorship seat of the state on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Oko Chukwu said he wants to offer “conventional service” to Abians “having learned the lesson in areas we have not done well and to better the lot of Abians and where we have done well, to improve on it.”
He highlighted security, economy, healthcare, urban renewal, road infrastructure and education as his areas of focus.
Having served in different capacities in the state, he said, “Hopefully, we will end up stronger than when we started. It will be unfair not to give back to Abians what they have given to me.
“I understand what it means to run the state. It is not a tea party and I will use governance to better the state. I will lead and serve the state in good faith.”
Apparently to bring his political ambition in check, THE WHISPERER learnt that members of the state House of Assembly, who are part of the inner plot to pave the way for the governor’s anointed candidate, spent the better part of last weekend perfecting an impeachment process against Mr. Ude Oko Chukwu over issues that are not immediately clear.
Close watchers of the unfolding political construction say Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, from the Ngwa extraction, favours a former Vice Chancellor of Abia State University, Prof. Uchenna Eleazar Ikonne, who is also from the same Ngwa clan as his successor.
Mr. Ikpeazu observers say, is not in support of his deputy succeeding him come 2023.
Some political pundits say Mr. Ikpeazu has his sympathies leaning towards a former Deputy Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Cosmos Ndukwe as a possible replacement for Mr. Ude Oko Chukwu.
A source close to the Deputy Governor, had in a chat with THE WHISPERER confirmed the plot to remove Mr. Oko Chukwu.
He said, ” It is true that some people are plotting to remove him (Ude Oko-Chukwu), but they don’t have any tangible reason or case to so.
“Ude Oko-Chukwu has been very loyal to the Govenor but they don’t want to reward him positively. They denied him some of his benefits but he has been quiet about it because of his loyalty to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
“Is that how loyalty is rewarded? PDP may lose Abia State in 2023 if they are not careful,” the source said.
THE WHISPERER reports that Mr. Oko-Chukwu hails from Nkporo clan of Ohafia local government area.
He served as the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, from 2011 -2015 before he was elected in a joint ticket with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in 2015 under the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
