The impeached Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, has asked an Enugu State High Court to declare his removal from office by the Enugu State House of Assembly as illegal, null and void.
Onyebuchi, in the suit filed by his lawyers, is asking the court to reinstate him.
The Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Eugene Odoh, 23 lawmakers, the Enugu State House of Assembly, and Onyebuchi’s replacement at the Deputy Governor, Reverend Ifeanyi Nwoye, were listed as defendants.
The former deputy governor argued that he was not guilty of any act that could amount to gross misconduct in the discharge of his duties as the state Deputy Governor, and as a result, his impeachment was illegal, and contrary to the provisions of sections 188(2) and 188 (11) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Members of the Enugu assembly had impeached Onyebuchi after an investigative panel ruled that he was guilty of gross misconduct, as alleged by the lawmakers.
In challenging his removal, Onyebuchi wants the court to determine whether the lawmakers can impeach him when he was not guilty of gross misconduct, and if the allegations brought against him – running a poultry in his official residence, and allegedly refusing to represent Governor Sullivan Chime at a state function – constituted ‘gross misconduct’.
He wants the court to declare that the allegations levelled against him did not amount to gross misconduct, and that the lawmakers were wrong to impeach him.
Also, Onyebuchi asked the court to declare the state assembly’s approval of Nwoye’s nomination to replace him as illegal, and contrary to the provisions of section 191 of 1999 Constitution.
Praying the court to reinstate him, Onyebuchi equally asked the court to order that in the event that his tenure in offices expires before the determination of the case, all his outstanding entitlements should be paid to him, including his pension, “having lawfully served out his tenure”.
It is expected that the case will come up for hearing during the week. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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