The Anambra State House of Assembly has suspended a member representing Ogbaru Constituency II, Hon. Noble Chukwunonso Igwe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over a controversial social media post deemed “misleading and unbecoming of a legislator.”
The suspension followed a motion moved during Tuesday’s plenary by the Majority Leader, Hon. Ikenna Ofodeme, who accused Igwe of making statements on Facebook that ridiculed the Assembly and misinformed the public about its activities.
According to Ofodeme, the lawmaker’s post “maliciously misrepresented the House and brought the integrity of the institution into question.” He argued that such conduct violated the rules guiding the conduct of members of the Assembly.
After heated deliberations, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Somtochukwu Udeze, put the matter to a voice vote, and the majority of members voted in support of the suspension.
No member is above the rules of this House. We cannot allow statements that undermine the dignity of the Assembly to go unchecked,” Udeze said while pronouncing Igwe’s suspension.
The suspension, according to the Speaker, will last until the lawmaker appears before the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges to explain his actions and tender a formal apology.
Hon. Igwe, who belongs to the minority opposition PDP, was absent during the plenary, but his suspension has already sparked reactions within political circles, with some describing it as “politically motivated.”
The development marks the first major disciplinary action in the 8th Anambra Assembly and raises questions about the relationship between the ruling party and opposition lawmakers in the state.
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