Intense lobbying has begun over who becomes the next Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly.
Investigations yesterday in Owerri, discovered that six House of Assembly members-elect from Imo North senatorial district, have engaged in moves and counter-moves to woo their colleagues from other zones.
Many believe that since the governor- elect, Emeka Ihedioha is from Imo East and his deputy, Gerald Irona is from Imo West , it would be politically balanced to have the speaker produced from Imo North senatorial district.
The House when inaugurated, will have 13 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, members; eight Action Alliance, AA, members; and six All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, members.
In Imo North which is where the pendulum appears to be swinging to, APGA won in four local government areas while AA has only two local government areas but the PDP could not win even one local government.
Consequently, it will take the governor- elect, Ihedioha, who has been a deputy speaker of House of Representatives, what an analyst described as “political conjuration” to produce his preferred speaker.
Some were of the opinion that Ihedioha would have to contend with Araraume and Nwosu before he could succeed in installing his choice speaker.
It was gathered that since after the supplementary elections in the state, the governorship candidates of the various political parties have been having meetings with their respective members-elect inorder not to be outwitted in parliamentary politics.
The governor-elect has been advised to do his political negotiations well, as any mistake could result to the two opposition camps teaming up to take over the leadership of the House.
This is not to say that there could be possible defection from opposition parties to the PDP, especially those who have been working day and night to become the speaker of the House.
-Vanguard-
