A cloud of disgrace has descended upon Ezinihite Mbaise as the Legislative Council wielded the hammer of accountability, suspending its Vice Chairman, Prince Matthew Igbokwe, indefinitely over a scandal that has stunned both constituents and colleagues alike.
Once entrusted with public office, Prince Igbokwe now stands accused of betraying that trust in the most ignominious manner. His dramatic arrest last week by the Lagos State Police Command, over alleged involvement in a car-theft syndicate, has ignited outrage and disbelief. Police spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed that the embattled official remains under investigation for crimes that starkly contradict the dignity of his office.
In a swift response, the Ezinihite Mbaise Legislative Council announced his indefinite suspension on Monday, April 13, issuing a seven-day impeachment notice—an unmistakable signal of the gravity of the allegations.
The charges against him paint a troubling portrait: chronic absenteeism from duty, unauthorized trips outside Imo State, and most damningly, alleged participation in robbery and other criminal enterprises. His reported arrest and detention have become a symbol of a public trust shattered.
Council members did not mince words in condemning what they described as “odious activities unbecoming of a person occupying such an exalted office.” In their view, Prince Igbokwe’s actions have dragged the name of Ezinihite Mbaise through the mud, casting a long shadow over the administration of Governor Hope Uzodimma and the leadership of Hon. Sir Ambrose Chinedum Nwachukwu.
The motion to suspend him was decisively moved by Chief Whip Hon. Ajaa Echezolachi, backed by Deputy Leader Hon. Steven Echeta, and seconded by Majority Leader Hon. Vincent Kelechi Egwurugwu. It passed unanimously—an emphatic rejection of the scandal that has rocked the council.
Delivering the Council’s stance, Leader Rt. Hon. Deaconess Mbechi Benson described the decision as a necessary act to salvage the battered image of the people and government of Ezinihite Mbaise. She emphasized that the council acted firmly within the provisions of the Imo State Local Government Administration Law No. 6 of 2022 (as amended).
For many, the fall of Prince Igbokwe is not just a personal disgrace—it is a cautionary tale of how quickly power can crumble under the weight of alleged criminality, leaving behind a stain that may take far longer to erase than the tenure he once held.
