C’River Assembly Speaker Denies Impeachment, Says Aggrieved Lawmaker Only Brought Hoodlums To Disrupt Plenary

The embattled Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Elvert Ayambem, has announced that he remains the leader of the assembly.

Ayambem statement is coming, following report over his impeachment by some members of the house who earlier signed a notice of impeachment to him.

It was gathered that the motion for his removal was moved on the floor of the House by a member representing Calabar South 1, Effiong Ekarika, and seconded by Charles Omang.

Reacting to the development, Ayambem declared the process null and void in a statement made available by his Chief Press Secretary, Matthew Okache, on Wednesday night.

The speaker alleged that Akarika, who moved the motion of his impeachment, disrupted the session by inviting hoodlums to enter the chamber.

The statement reads: “The Cross River State House of Assembly has been alerted to false news reports that the Speaker, Elvert Ayambem, has been impeached.

“To be clear, the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly is, without a doubt, Elvert Ayambem.

READ MORE: Cross River Assembly Impeaches Speaker Over Alleged Misconduct

“He is in the current position. What happened earlier today (Wednesday) during the plenary, when Effiong Akarika, a member representing Calabar South 1, disrupted the session by inviting hoodlums to enter the chamber, is a ridiculous charade with no constitutional basis.

“The House of Assembly is not aware of any impeachment notices being served to anyone before the frivolous act as witnessed at the chambers.

“The alleged impeachment and replacement are speculative, and the general public is urged to disregard fake news and dismiss any notion of a crisis. The status quo is that Elvert Ayambem is the Speaker of the House of Assembly.