Anambra’s eighth assembly inaugurated with Somtochukwu Udeze emerging as Speaker

The eighth session of the Anambra State House of Assembly has been inaugurated with Governor Prof Chukwuma Soludo in attendance. The lawmakers also elected a new Speaker for the assembly. Somtochukwu Udeze, who represents Ogbaru II state constituency, emerged as the new Speaker after garnering the votes of 30 members of the assembly. Udeze replaced former Speaker Uchenna Okafor, who failed to secure reelection in the March 2023 election. Although Udeze was originally a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he recently defected to the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) on whose platform he was elected as Speaker. During the election, Udeze was nominated by Ikenna Ofodeme, the member representing Ekwusigo Constituency while Chimezie Ikwunne, the Awka North counterpart seconded the nomination. In addition to the Speaker election, the member representing Awka South II Constituency, Chukwuma Okoye, was elected Deputy Speaker. Both Udeze and Okoye were subsequently sworn in by the acting clerk of the House, Esther Aneto. Anambra indigenes are optimistic that the new Assembly will prioritize the development of the state and initiate programmes and policies that will improve the welfare of the people.