By Chris Njoku, Owerri

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the purported suspension of six lawmakers in the Imo State House of Assembly.

It said it is a violation of the principle of democracy.

Addressing reporters on Monday at a news conference at the party secretariat in Owerri, the state Chairman, Charles Ugwuh, said that the suspension was unconstitutional, illegal, unlawful and unacceptable.

The House leadership last week suspended six lawmakers. They include two PDP members and four All Progressives Congress (APC) members, who were accused of “parliamentary misconduct and insubordination”.

Ugwuh said the legislators were suspended under circumstances proved to be unlawful and ultra vires to the power vested in the presiding officers and code of ethics and conduct of the House.

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“We find the entire narrative on the suspension of the lawmakers as a dangerous threat to democracy in Imo State in particular and Nigeria in general. As a party, we condemn in its entirety the suspension and urge Speaker Paul Emeziem to withdraw the suspension and allow the lawmakers to continue to carry out the task of representing their constituents,” he said.

Ugwuh noted that Imo PDP lawmakers are being oppressed by their counterparts in the APC, who find themselves in principal and presiding offices in the Assembly.

“Not only are their allowances and entitlements cut by nearly 50 per cent, they are also intimidated, harassed and threatened just because they refuse to budge to pressures to defect to the APC,” he alleged.

The suspended Minority Leader representing Ezinihitte Constituency, Anyadike Nwosu, said the Speaker had been making attempts to silence any voice of dissent since he assumed office.

“Contrary to the unattainable, porous, and infantile explanation of Mr. Speaker, the truth is that he has been under pressure by Governor Hope Uzodimma to continue to hound us, intimidate and persecute us for failing to defect to the APC.

“We hereby state that no constituency is inferior to the other and the speaker has no right to remove elected members,” he alleged.

The lawmaker advised the Assembly leadership to desist from engaging in actions that would ridicule and undermine the image and integrity of the House.

He also urged the speaker to disclose what the alleged unparliamentary conduct was, when it happened and if the matter was brought up at any plenary session.

Efforts to get Speaker Emeziem’s reaction did not yield result, as he failed to pick his calls.