APC warns Abia Assembly over threat to suspend minority leader

The Abia State chapter of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) has warned the State House of Assembly against executing threat to suspend its Minority Leader, Chijioke Chukwu representing Bende North, for stating his views about zoning in the state.

Chukwu had, in an interview last week, disclosed that the agitation over the 2023 zoning for the position of Governor, heated up the polity and a scheme to shift focus from the inadequacies of the present Peoples Democratic Party-led government in the state.

Subsequent to his comments, the House leadership, it was learnt, requested him to apologise or be ready to be suspended.

The APC in a statement signed by its State Secretary, Perfect Okorie, stated, “We have to make it clear that the APC sees the threat as an affront to democracy and will not in any way tolerate it. In fact, the position of the party is that a threat to the Minority Leader of the House, who is a member of APC, is a threat to the party itself.

“It is not about him as a person, he is there representing his constituents and the APC, and has been standing firm to the principles and tenets of the party.

“He has remained the voice of opposition in the state and they cannot in any way and any manner whatsoever try to cow him from standing up for what is right.

“Democracy must be allowed to thrive in Abia. We have had occasions where members of the PDP at the National Assembly, including those from Abia have severely criticised President Muhammadu Buhari and nobody had threatened to suspend them.

“The party encourages Hon. Chukwu to continue to speak out when and where necessary, to continue to criticise all government policies that are detrimental to the welfare and wellbeing of the people of Abia State.”