By Williams Anuku, Abuja
For describing Okezie Ikpeazu, the Governor of Abia State, as a “drunkard, Smart Adeyemi, a member of the National Assembly has drawn the wrath of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a lawmaker representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Uko Ndukwe Nkole.
While taking a swipe at Adeyemi who represents Kogi West Senatorial District in the Senate, the PDP also described the lawmaker as uncultured and irresponsible.
Adeyemi had during the senate plenary session of Tuesday, had described Ikpeazu as a “Drunkard” a development that didn’t go down well with Ikpeazu’s loyalists.
According to PDP’s leadership, Adeyemi exhibited a high level of irresponsibility by using the privileges of the Senate Chamber to engage in unprovoked disparagement of Governor Ikpeazu and the entire people of Abia state, who had not offended him in any way.
According to Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary of PDP, the Kogi legislator whose words were respected by Nigerians while he was in the PDP has become so corrupted by his sojourn in the All Progressives Congress (APC), that he has completely lost his mind just to satisfy some new gods.
Ologbondiyan said by now Adeyemi must have noted the widespread national detestation and opprobrium that he had brought to himself by his unguarded comment against the highly respected Governor Ikpeazu and the people of Abia state.
“Moreover, our party has equally noted that Senator Adeyemi’s uncouth comment is borne out of bitter envy for the achievements of Governor Ikpeazu in every sector of life in Abia state, which no APC governor, including Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, can compare,” Ologbondiyan said.
“The PDP, therefore, issues a very strong warning that it would not stomach any such unwarranted and unprovoked attack on any of our governors but will deploy all instruments provided in a democratic setting against such individual.”
He advised Ikpeazu not to be distracted by sidetracking elements such as Adeyemi but to continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to his people.
In a similar development, Nkole said Adeyemi erred against the people of Abia state by making such uncomplimentary and unparliamentary submissions that breach rules against the leader and the Governor of Abia State, Dr Ikpeazu.
He said, “As a serving Member of the National Assembly from Abia State, I have gone through all our Parliamentary Rule Books and I cannot find any rule that permits Senator Adeyemi to use the hallowed Chambers of the National Assembly to, in such brazen manner, propagate hate speech on persons no matter how lowly or highly placed in the society.
“It is trite that one of the cardinal functions of the parliament is to defend and uphold the integrity and rights of every law-abiding citizen.
“I must quickly remind Senator Smart that no court of law has convicted nor fined Governor Okezie Ikpeazu over drunkenness. Neither has the Abia State House Of Assembly, the body with statutory oversight over Governor Ikpeazu, at any point in time, found him to be a drunk that ordinarily would have necessitated such undistinguished vituperation by Senator Adeyemi.
“Governor Ikpeazu was never the subject of the motion being debated and by no stretch should his name have come up negatively in the course of Senator Adeyemi’s contribution.
I note sadly that efforts by the Senate President to call him to order were rebuffed as he was hell-bent on going down the voyage to infamy”.