I remain Cross River Speaker, Ayambem insists

The embattled Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Elvert Ayambem, has insisted he remains the head of the assembly despite his recent impeachment.

The Guardian reports that no fewer than 20 members of the Assembly signed a notice of impeachment against Ayambem on Wednesday over allegations of misappropriation of funds.

The motion for his removal was introduced on the House floor by Effiong Akarika, the representative for Calabar South 1, and seconded by Charles Omang.

Following his impeachment, fighting erupted in the Assembly forcing officials from the Department of State Services (DSS), the Dragon Squad, and personnel from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to take control of the assembly complex to calm tensions among the lawmakers.

In response, Ayambem declared the impeachment process null and void in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Matthew Okache.

He accused Akarika, who moved for his impeachment, of disrupting the session by “inviting hoodlums to enter the chamber.”

The statement read, “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. 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.”

Despite the impeachment attempt, Ayambem stated he remains undeterred and is focused on advancing the assembly’s work and supporting Governor Bassey Otu’s administration.