The Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed strong disapproval over the prolonged delay in inaugurating Aaron Uzodike, who was re-elected to represent Aba North State Constituency in the 2023 elections. Despite receiving his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on December 13, 2023, following a court order, Uzodike has yet to be sworn in as a lawmaker.
The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Emmanuel Emereuwa, had attributed the delay to ongoing legal interventions by contenders to the position, including Uzodike and Destiny Nwagwu of the Labour Party. However, the PDP Vice Chairman, Abraham Amah, has criticized the delay as a breach of democratic principles, pointing out that winners from other political parties have been inaugurated at the national level.
Amah emphasized that the Court of Appeal’s judgment in favor of Uzodike was delivered seven months ago, and INEC promptly issued a certificate of return. He questioned the state government’s reluctance to inaugurate Uzodike, highlighting the contradiction in inaugurating non-All Progressives Congress members declared winners by the Court of Appeal at the national level while neglecting Uzodike’s case. The PDP demands urgent action to rectify the situation and uphold democratic principles.