Senate To Swear In Igbeke Next Tuesday

ABUJA, May 19, (THEWILL) - At last the leadership of the Senate has resolved to swear in Chief Alphonsus Igbeke of opposition All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to replace Joy Emordi as senator representing Anambra North in the Senate.

THEWILL can authoritatively report that Igbeke will be sworn in next Tuesday.

The politician has been at loggerheads with the Senate over its refusal to swear him in despite the ruling of the Appeal Court in Enugu which quashed Emordi’s election and ordered the Senate to inaugurate him since last month.

Chairman Senate Committee on Information and Media Senator Ayogu Eze said the Senate reversed itself following an advice by the Attorney General of the Federation Mohammed Adoke that the Senate is duty bound to respect the ruling of the Appeal Court since there is no stay of execution from any court of competent jurisdiction.

Eze said the Attorney General had pointed out that unless there is a stay of execution the Senate should not rely on a notice of appeal to stop Igbeke from being sworn in.

Emordi had gone to the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling of the Appeal Court but has yet to obtain a stay of execution on the ruling.

Eze said based on the advice of the Attorney General, the Senate had resolved to swear Igbeke in next Tuesday. He said the inauguration would have been taken today but for Igbeke’s absence at the time the matter was presented on the floor.

"We sought interpretation from the Attorney General of the Federation who is the chief law officer of the nation and he advised that unless there is a stay of execution, the Senate is duty bound to swear in Igbeke. He advised us that a notice of appeal is not enough for the Senate to refuse to swear him in.

"So the Senate has resolved to swear Igbeke in when we resume plenary next Tuesday. We would have done it today but he was not around when the matter was presented on the floor. So he will be sworn in on Tuesday," Eze told THEWILL.