Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Councillors in Udenu Council Area of Enugu State, say they impeached their Legislative Leader, Dr Nnamdi Odo, due to his “overbearing disposition, high-handedness, and intimidation which were beyond tolerable limits.”
They said they also impeached him because of his false allegations against the Chairman of the Council, Mr Aka Eze Aka.
Odoh was impeached on Tuesday by his colleagues during plenary.
Eight out of the 10 councillors on Wednesday elected Hon. Patrick Ugwu of Amala Ward as the new legislative leader of the council.
Speaking on behalf of other Councillors in a press conference on Thursday, the Majority Leader of the Legislative Council, Hon. Sunday Onah, said that rather than Odoh serving as a bridge between the executive and the legislature, he chose to serve only himself.
“Odo fabricated a spurious allegation against Aka, claiming that the Ukwu Akpu—Ozo Ji—New Makurdi Road project was a mere 600 meters, while the chairman falsely claimed it to be two kilometers to siphon public funds.
He added that upon thorough investigation, his claim was proven to be a malicious falsehood, intended to incite disaffection and chaos.
According to him, an independent review of the contract papers and budget proposal affirmed that the project was accurately measured at 600 meters, as officially documented.
“This deliberate misinformation was nothing short of legislative sabotage, a desperate attempt to erode the credibility of the chairman and paint the government of Udenu in a negative light.
“Yet, the reality remains that the Eze Aka-led administration has demonstrated transparency, inclusiveness, and a clear vision for development.
“The chairman has not only extended an open hand of collaboration to the legislative council but has also ensured that the welfare of councilors is prioritised.
“Evidence is in our memo dated Feb. 16, signed by all 10 Councilors of Udenu. In that document, we commended Aka for his inclusiveness and urged all political appointees to emulate his leadership style,” the majority leader said.
Onah added that in spite of their repeated counsel and appeals for Odoh to conduct himself in a manner befitting of his office, he persisted in bringing shame to the legislative council.
He recalled that On Feb. 6, at Solid FM, and Feb. 15, 2025 at Afia TV, respectively, Odoh made reckless, unverified, and highly embarrassing statements that cast the Enugu State Government in bad light.
According to him, the impeached council leader falsely claimed that councilors in Enugu State and the entire South-East were the least remunerated in Nigeria.
He said he made these claims, in spite of plans of Gov. Peter Mbah’s administration to improve the welfare of councilors and ensure they play active roles in project supervision within their wards.
“Despite being advised to retract those damaging statements, he stubbornly refused, maintaining his reckless rhetoric and ignoring the collective voice of the legislative council that he purportedly led.
“His utterances were never a reflection of our views, but a selfish misrepresentation of our collective position,” he explained.
He further alleged that during their first tenure that Odoh colluded with the executive arm in a manner that rendered the entire legislature impotent, resulting in a total lack of development in their respective Wards.
Meanwhile, Odo, in a press conference on Wednesday, told newsmen that he was being witch-hunt by the council chairman and accused him of embezzling public funds.
He added that Aka prevented them from carrying their oversight function of monitoring ongoing road infrastructure in the area.
When contacted, Aka described the allegations as unfounded, saying he had no power as council chairman to impeach any member of the legislative arm.
“I have always admonished them on need to harmoniously work as one to move the council forward,” Aka said.
