The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, has intervened in the leadership crisis in the Anambra State House of Assembly.

The Assembly on Tuesday last week impeached the Speaker, Rita Maduagwu, over allegations of gross misconduct, financial impropriety and incompetence.

She was replaced with Ikem Uzoezie as Speaker.

But Maduagwu later addressed the press and described her impeachment as a “bundle of illegality”.

“I remain the Speaker of the House. Nobody can impeach me because I haven’t committed any offence,” Maduagwu stated.

 Uzoezie  described Maduagwu’s impeachment as final and finished.

He claimed that 25 members of House attended a plenary session he presided over on Thursday.

Achebe, who doubles as the Chairman, Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Council, urged the lawmakers to refrain from igniting political agitation in the state, describing the incident as a plot to scupper the existing peace in the state.

 The monarch added, “The Anambra State House of Assembly is like a family that seeks solutions to its internal problems.

“We the traditional rulers are ready to come into the matter to help resolve the matter, so as to achieve a solution.

“You should seek the mandate of the people who elected you before taking certain actions. Their interest should be of general interest and not a personal interest.’’

Meanwhile, members of the House on Monday asked the police to vacate the assembly complex.

The Anambra State Police Command on Thursday sealed the complex off following a fracas after the impeachment of  Maduagwu.

But on Monday, some of the lawmakers at a press conference described   the action of the police as illegal, unconstitutional.

They asked the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris,   to caution his men.

The factional Speaker of the Assembly, Uzoezie, said at no time did the leadership of the House ask the police to take over the complex.

He said,  “It is on record that there was no incident or  a semblance of any crisis that occurred on the premises of the Anambra State House of Assembly to warrant the leadership of the House to request you (police) to take over  the premises.

“It is therefore illegal and unconstitutional for the Nigeria Police Force, Anambra State Command to purportedly take over and secure the entire premises of the Anambra State House of Assembly under any guise except as provided under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).