Two out of the twelve councillors in Orhionmwon local government area of Edo state, Thursday allegedly impeached the council chairman, Hon. Newman Ugiagbe.
The two councillors were reportedly aided by plane-cloth security operatives and suspected political thugs
The development has introduced another dimension in the standoff between the state governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dominated 18 local government councils.
However, Hon. Newman Ugiagbe described his purported impeachment by the two councilors as null and void, saying , “I remain the duly elected chairman of the Orhionmwon local government.”
In a statement issued by his chief press secretary, Mr. Roy Osariemen, said two councillors who were on suspension recruited none of the members of the legislative arm to carry out the purported impeachment.
He said, “Ten out of twelve councilors had earlier impeached the former leader, who is now illegally claiming to be the council acting chairman.
“This is a ploy by the All Progressives Congress (APC), to gain unauthorised access to the council’s treasury and we will resist them through legal means.
“Despite these challenges, I remain the duly elected chairman. I am committed to delivering good governance to Orhionmwon people, as we have done for the past 16 months.
“We are open to collaborating with other tiers of government to achieve this goal.
“I urge all well-meaning individuals to condemn the harassment, intimidation, and illegality perpetrated by the APC in our state,” the statement added.
Blueprint recalls that Edo High Court had voided the suspension of the 18 local government chairmen in the state by the House of Assembly.