AWKA — Hon. Lawrence Chukwunwike Ezeudu, the member representing Dunukofia Local Government in Anambra State House of Assembly and the Chief Whip of the House for about seven years now, has resigned his position as Chief Whip of the Assembly. His resignation which he formally conveyed to the House today in writing is the first of its kind in recent memory.
Recall that in the build-up to the November 2021 gubernatorial election, Hon. Lawrence Ezeudu, who was a member of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance- APGA was among the lawmakers that joined the All Progressives Congress-APC in protest of his dissatisfaction with APGA posturing at the time. However, he has continued to act as the Chief Whip of the House which is a principal office that normally goes to a member of the party with the majority in the Assembly. As of today, Anambra Assembly has thirteen opposition lawmakers in PDP and APC, while there are seventeen APGA members of the House.
Recently, there have been insinuations that some House members of APGA party are not comfortable with Hon. Ezeudu’s continuous hold unto the principal office of Chief Whip, while a member of the opposition in the House. Although the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Uche Okafor and some members of the Assembly had maintained that the House is one and as such, irrespective of their party differences, as a group, they will always work together for the good of the state.
However, in sharp contrast, Hon. Lawrence today turned in his resignation as Chief Whip and asked the House to find someone else to take up the duty. A former member of the House who commented on the position of anonymity remarked that Hon. Ezeudu’s resignation is good for healthy politics and his (Ezeudu’s) part shows maturity and understanding.
The House of Assembly is expected to name a replacement for Ezeudu in the coming days or weeks. Otherwise, given the political season in which many House members have occupied with electioneering campaigns ahead of 2023, the position may even be vacant till the end of the seventh Assembly.
He is a Technical Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano’s Special Adviser on Legislative Matters, whoonce was a Special Adviser to a former Deputy Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly. Ebuka is a second class upper division graduate of Political Science from University of Calabar, Calabar Nigeria and holds a Masters Degree in Political Science with specialization in Government and Development Studies, from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Nigeria
