Breaking: Court stops swearing-in of new Imo deputy governor

- The swearing-in of the new deputy governor, Calistus Ekenze started in Imo state

- A high court in Owerri later stopped the swearing-in on Tuesday morning, July 31

- The impeached deputy governor of Imo, Eze Madumere was accused of gross misconduct

Emerging reports have it that a high court in Owerri, the Imo state capital has stopped the swearing-in of Calistus Ekenze as the new deputy governor of the state.

Channel TV reports that the court ruling came in on Tuesday morning, July 31, just as Ekenze was about to be sworn in.

The ceremony took place at the Sam Mbakwe expanded Exco Chambers of the Government House in Owerri, the state capital.

Legit.ng gathered that the attorney-general of the state, Miletus Nlemadim, informed those gathered for the ceremony about the ruling which stopped the process.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the deputy governor of Imo, Eze Madumere was impeached by the state’s House of Assembly. It was learnt that 19 out of the 27 members took the decision to get him parking.

The speaker of the House, Acho Ihim, announced that the impeachment was as a result of the outcome of a report by a seven-man panel constituted by the chief judge of the state to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against Madumere.

Part of the allegations included his alleged absence without reasons for a period of three months and a failure to perform constitutional duties like attending state executive and state security council meetings.

He was also accused of failure to attend meetings with the governor and other government functionaries as well as an alleged concealment of felonious act in the United States.

In a related development, Eze Madumere, the impeached deputy governor of Imo accused the state governor, Rochas Okorocha, of being the mastermind of his “illegal” impeachment by the state House of Assembly on Monday, July 30.

He made the comment via his media aide, Uche Onwuchekwa. Madumere chided the House of Assembly for being a willing tool for political witch hunting in the hands of Okorocha.

He described the House as a “mere stooge in the hands of the governor,” and pointed out that he was not invited to any of its sittings or those of the seven-man panel set up by the chief judge of the state, Paschal Nnadi.

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Source: Legit.ng