The contention for Obowo/Ehime Mbano/Ihite Uboma Federal Constituency, Imo State in the House of Representatives is daily assuming new dimension.
Before now, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in an abracadabra manner allegedly denied Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, a staunch APC and a one-time House of Representatives member, of the party’s ticket.
Angered by the development, Nwajiuba defected to Accord Party to assert authority and political relevance in his constituency and eventually got the nod without much ado to represent his people in the Green Chambers.
But the party was said to have supported Hon. Chike Okafor, a one-time Commissioner for Finance under Rochas Okorocha administration from 2011 to 2015 to pick the party’s ticket during the primary, and subsequently won the March 9 National Assembly Election.
Okafor who being an incumbent then later fell out of favour with Rochas Okorocha for failing to run on African Action Congress, AAC ticket with his son-in-law, was issued a ceritificate of return by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Though Okafor who was elected into the 8th National Assembly from 2015 to 2019 got the Certificate of Return, Nwajiuba assisted by the powers that-be struggled through court processes and dispossessed the certificate from Okafor.
A one-time Chairman of the Board of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), an intervention agency in the development of tertiary institutions’ infrastructural and human resources, Nwajiuba represented his constituency in the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003.
However, indications are that the power-that-be has directed Clerk of the National Assembly to recognize and inaugurate Nwajiuba as a member of the National Assembly.
Though embattled Okafor had declared his intention to vie for speakership in the House of Representatives, it is alleged that Nwajiuba may be considered for the position of Deputy Speaker in the House of Representatives.
An insider confided in Straightnews that though Nwajiuba could not clinch the party’s ticket, the power-that-be may support him and he stands a chance (irrespective of his party) to grab the number two seat in the House purportedly zoned by the party to South East region where he hails from.
Already, voting has begun for the Senate Presidency in the National Assembly pending the election of speaker, House of Representatives.
