Anambra Assembly Set to Recall Suspended Lawmaker Over Social Media Post
The Anambra State House of Assembly has started a fresh process that could lead to the return of a suspended lawmaker to plenary.
The House on Tuesday opened discussions on reviewing the suspension placed on Bernard Udemezue, who represents Ayamelum Constituency. His suspension followed a controversy linked to comments he made on social media about alleged unfair treatment of his constituency.
Udemezue was first suspended in August 2025 after posting messages online that accused the state legislature of neglecting Ayamelum in the distribution of constituency allowances. The Assembly described the post as “damaging content” and ruled that it violated internal rules of conduct.
A committee investigation later found him guilty of what lawmakers termed “unparliamentary conduct.” This led to a three-month suspension. The sanction was later extended by another three months when the lawmaker failed to comply with earlier resolutions of the House.
The second phase of the suspension began in November 2025 and is expected to end on February 26, 2026.
During Tuesday’s sitting, Speaker Somtochukwu Udeze directed the Committee on Rules, Ethics and Privileges to reopen the case and assess whether conditions for Udemezue’s return have been met.
The committee, led by Majority Leader Ikenna Ofodeme, was asked to “urgently re-examine the matter in line with the House resolution and report back to the Assembly on the next adjourned date”.
Udeze explained that the review would focus on the level of compliance shown by the suspended lawmaker since the sanction was imposed. He added that the final decision would depend on the committee’s findings and recommendations.
“The suspension remains subject to review by the Committee, which is expected to assess the level of compliance by Hon. Udemezue with the resolutions of the House before making its recommendations,” the Speaker said.
Following the directive, plenary was adjourned until February 19, 2026.
