According to Vanguard, Abia State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, is facing backlash for allegedly walking out on a journalist, Kingsley Chibuike, during a press briefing without explanation. The incident has sparked outrage, with former Speaker Rt. Hon. Chikwendu Kanu, former Secretary to State Government Elder Ralph Egbu, and former Commissioner for Information Chief John Okiyi Kalu condemning the action.
Egbu called for a boycott of Assembly activities, stating that the Speaker's behavior would not have gone unchallenged in his active days. Kalu described the incident as dictatorial and an attempt to gag the press, contrasting it with the humility of Labour Party's Peter Obi, under whose umbrella Emeruwa and other party members rose to power.
The incident has raised concerns about press freedom and the role of the media in democracy. FENRAD, a human rights organization, labeled the incident an "attempt to gag the media," while a lawyer described it as a violation of democratic principles. The Abia State House of Assembly has yet to respond to the criticism.