The embattled Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Elvert Ayambem, has declared that he remains the head of the assembly.
Ayambem said this following his impeachment by the over 20 members who earlier signed a notice of impeachment served to him.
After this, the motion for his removal was moved to the floor of the House by the member representing Calabar South 1, Effiong Ekarika, and seconded by Charles Omang.
Reacting, the speaker declared the process null and void in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Matthew Okache, on Wednesday alleging that Akarika, who moved the motion of his impeachment, disrupted 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.
The embattled, however, said he is unconcerned about the impeachment and determined to elevate the assembly and support Governor Bassey Otu’s administration.
Earlier, officials of the Department of State Services, the Dragon Squad, and personnel of the Nigeria Police Force took over the assembly complex to douse tension among the lawmakers.