By Abuchi Ifesinachi, Awka
The Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Mrs. Chinwe Nwebili had her hope of becoming the Acting Governor of the state dashed by the Supreme Court judgment that upheld the election of Governor Willie Obiano on Monday.
247 ureports, gathered that smooth relationship between the Governor and the Speaker appeared to have been eroded following an alleged moves by the later to be sworn in as the Acting Governor of the state following a court suit slammed on the former by the candidates of All Progressives Congress, APC and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Chris Ngige and Tony Nwoye respectively.
Sources in Awka, the Anambra state capital on Monday when the judgment was delivered stated that there was a groundswell of optimism and palpable excitement in the camp of Speaker Chinwe Nwaebili, who had nursed the secret ambition of being sworn-in as acting governor in the expectation that Governor Obiano would lose at the supreme court.
For instance, it was said that while Speaker Nwaebili, who was present in court in Abuja on Tuesday, September 16, 2014, when the final submissions of both the appellate and the respondent were adopted allegedly excused herself from attending the judgment day session, claiming that she was down with typhoid fever, when in actual fact, it was revealed, she was actually getting herself ready to take over the mantle of leadership at the Anambra state government house on the erroneous belief that the judgment would go against Governor Obiano.
It was further alleged that her supporters, who apparently had fore-knowledge of her inordinate ambition had, in fact, kicked-off a premature “victory” celebration in Ogbaru Local Government Area – where she hails from – with a colourful motorcade that included over 40 brand new tricycles, popularly known as Keke NAPEP.
A prominent All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) leader, who spoke at the party secretariat in Abuja after the Supreme Court victory, made allusion to such premature celebration being orchestrated by a “top APGA public official in Anambra”.
