By Anayo Okoli
Umuahia — THE political crisis rocking Abia State deepened yesterday when the state House of Assembly served notice of impeachmenton the Deputy Governor, Comrade Chris Akomas, on account of what it called “allegations of gross misconduct.”

The petition containing 6-point allegations and signed by 21 of the 24 members was presented on the floor of the House by the member representing Aba Central Constituency, Chief Uzo Azubuike, a former speaker of the House. He said the allegation was being probed in line with section 188 of the 1999 Constitution.

The relationship between Akomas and his boss, Governor Theodore Orji has been anything but cordial in the last couple of months. Akomas, believed to be very close to former governor Orji Kalu fell out with Governor Orji when the governor suspected that he was nursing ambition to run for the state governorship seat in 2011.

Governor Orji, himself, had last week said he has no confidence in his deputy again, alleging that he was part of the grand plan to remove him from their former party. He specifically stated that he could function without a deputy.

A-Court dismisses Ugochukwu’s case

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal in Owerri yesterday, dismissed the application by the PDP governorship candidate in Abia, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, challenging its earlier decision in the Abia 2007 governorship poll.

The court had earlier upheld the April 14, 2007 election of Gov. Theodore Orji but Ugochukwu filed a motion praying the court to reverse its decision.

It had earlier set aside the Abia Election Tribunal’s nullification of  Gov. Orji’s election on the ground that he belonged to a secret cult, the Okija Shrine.

Delivering judgment, the presiding judge, Justice Suleiman Galadima, said the court had studied all the nine consolidated applications filed by the parties on their individual merits and  dismissed all the applications for lack of merit and substantial evidence..