Impeachment frenzy: Lawmakers break loose: (Owerri), Tony John (Port Harcourt), Moshood Adebayo (Abeokuta), Tony Osauzo (Benin), Jeff Amaechi Agbodo (Abakiliki) Following the successful impeachment of Navy Rear Admiral Murtala Nyako (retd) as Adamawa State governor recently by the State House of Assembly and the progress made towards impeaching the Nasarawa State Governor, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, the alarm bell may have sounded across the country. Also the hammer is set to fall on the Enugu State Deputy Governor, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, whose impeachment process is fast drawing to a close. Particularly hit by the new development are state governors, who have had in the last fortnight embarked on massive reviews of their relationships with their legislatures, the judiciaries and in some cases the Presidency. There is a groundswell of speculations that the presidency is the unseen hand behind the gale, which is believed to be a growing tradition before any general elections. Recall the impeachments that swept through Bayelsa, Oyo, Anambra, Plateau and Ekiti between 2005 and 2006, to herald the 2007 general elections. A national officer of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai on his facebook page recently, hinted that Governors Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state, and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state are next on the card. El-Rufai’s declaration is, however, taken with a pinch of salt, given the sensationalism, hilarity and trivia that are often associated with APC’s political jibes. However, beneath the depositions lie deep-seated, seething plots to ward off threats against governors from legislators. At the moment, frantic surveillance have been thrown around Yobe, Borno, Rivers, Oyo, Ogun, Imo, Plateau, Kano, Sokoto, and Edo states. Borno In Borno, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Honourable Abdulkarem Lawan has come out to debunk the rumored impeachment process against the state Governor, Kashim Shettima. He couched his argument on the fact that the lawmakers would not want to add to the deteriorating security profile of the state by moving against him. He exonerated the governor of any wrongdoing, while pledging the support of the House to his administration. Despite the denial, Sunday Sun indeed learnt that several meetings at the behest of Shettima’s estranged godfather and predecessor in office, Senator Ali-Modu Sheriff were held in Abuja and Maiduguri. The Presidency, it was learnt, plotted Shettima’s removal from office in cahoots with Sheriff, following his incessant intransigence and criticisms of the Presidency by the governor. The governor who got wind of the plot in good time has since beaten back his steps, sing-praising President Goodluck Jonathan at every given opportunity. He also had audience with the President over the matter. To make matters worse for him, Sheriff has been given the necessary all-clear to declare for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which would easily pave way for the governor’s ouster. Trouble for the governor began on the heels of the abduction of the Chibok girls in April, when he openly took on the Federal Government, accusing it of inaction and inefficiency. While the Federal Government was still grappling with what they considered as “reckless vituperations,” he went international on the BBC accusing the government of “being deaf, blind and dumb.” The statement was celebrated at home and in international circles to the chagrin and discomfiture of the Presidency. The battle line was then drawn, with the presidency vowing to take its pound of flesh by easing him out of power through any necessary lawful means. Somehow, the plot leaked as the machinery for his impeachment was being set in motion. The Presidency was gutted by the governor’s apparent lack of respect and gratitude for the efforts of the Armed Forces, which had prevented the Boko Haram insurgents from overrunning his state and throwing him out of power. Instead of relaxing military operations in his state, the decision to kick him out democratically was sealed. Shettima has not had any respite since then, as the Federal Government believes that the battle against insurgency could be won without much belligerence from the host state governors. The unease in the governor’s camp heightened when the majority leader of the House, Idrissa Jidda claimed that most members of the House were re-aligning with Sheriff to the PDP. Consequently, a distraught Shettima has placed a 24-hour beam on the lawmakers. As part of measures to checkmate them, their salaries and allowances have been raised upwards, while unconfirmed reports indicate that apart from seeking the personal intervention of Jonathan, he has also sent close friends and political allies of the President to him for fence mending. The Governor has also avoided the APC and boycotted all their meetings including the recent National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in order not to stoke the flames of the plot. The Presidency is yet to be swayed as the plot has gone too far for a retreat. The governor has allegedly been told to defect to the PDP to save his neck. The condition is being considered as the last option, and would be effected after due reconciliation with his estranged godfather, Sunday Sun was told. Bigwigs of the PDP in the state are putting finishing touches to the evolving reconciliatory moves and defection. Jidda, who is an in-law to Sheriff, also described the move as being “in the interest of the state.” Yobe In neighbouring Yobe, Governor Ibrahim Geidam is also under fire. Sheriff, who is said to have received tremendous logistic support from the Presidency on the project, is mobilizing massively in the legislature, forcing Geidam to hold meetings twice with the leadership of the House last week, where he pledged a more robust co-operation with the restive lawmakers. He also promised to review their salaries upwards, while strengthening the liaison office. At the moment, the lawmakers are merely bidding their time and may likely strike as soon as the Nasarawa project is done with. Geidam, who is considered a moderate opponent of the Presidency is merely a hapless victim of the resolve of the Presidency to do away with the three governors of the emergency states democratically, as opposed to the clamour in some quarters for their removal through the martial laws inherent in the emergency rule declaration in their states. Oyo In Oyo, which is controlled by the APC, fears heightened last week over series of secret meetings by members of the state legislature. At least 24 lawmakers have been meeting secretly without any external coercion. Efforts to get more members into their fold have been intensified. Reportedly, 10 lawmakers from the APC had teamed up with the 14 PDP and Accord Party, AP, lawmakers to fine-tune modalities to unseat the governor, or the speaker, Monsurat Sunmonu. The House has 32 members, with the ruling APC having 18; PDP nine, while the AP which had seven, now has five members. The plot leaked when there emerged a disagreement on who would be the next speaker, and implement the decisions reached. There were plans to step up the PDP’s numerical strength for the seat by wooing the AP, and about 6 APC legislators with irresistible carrots. The Majority Leader of the House, Oyeniyi Akande has, however, denied the plot, absolving the 18 APC lawmakers of any complicity, during an emergency press briefing in Ibadan. “I am using this period to debunk that statement that APC members were part of that meeting; they were not part of that meeting. I am saying it categorically that we are solidly behind our governor, Ajimobi beyond 2015. We have the positive opinion that he is going to win the second term election,” he said. The Minority Leader, Rafiu Adekunle swiftly pooh-poohed his stance, threatening to unveil the names of the APC lawmakers who attended the meetings. “For political reasons, no member of APC can boldly come out and affirm my claim publicly. Let me tell you emphatically, immediately after plenary, four other members signified their readiness to associate with the project,” he affirmed. All the APC members of the House subsequently met with the governor and three members of the NEC of the party and issued a statement signed by all of them dissociating themselves from the plot. The meeting was marked by intense pleas to the lawmakers to sheathe their swords. The Chairman of APC in the state, Mr. Akin Oke revealed that all the APC lawmakers had been reined in, a situation that may have neutralized the plot. “They have pledged their support to the governor. The 18 legislators in Oyo have come out to deny meeting legislators from the PDP and AP. It shows that such a move will not be welcomed in Oyo.” His PDP counterpart, Yinka Taiwo, insists the process has not been thwarted. “We are moving on. The minority leader, who is a PDP member is handling it” he emphasized. Oyo State boasts of an array of PDP bigwigs including former governor Alao-Akala, and Chief Shuaibu Oyedokun. While the tension generated by the move is yet to abate, the two camps may have gone back to the drawing board to re-strategise. The PDP is desperate to have a foothold in the South-west, which it considers very crucial in the second term ambition of Jonathan in next year’s election. Special adviser on political matters to the President, Prof Rufai Alkali absolved the Presidency of any impeachment plot anywhere in the country. He told Sunday Sun on telephone that those “dragging the name of the president into the matter are the real enemies of democracy, who are living in the past.” Imo In Imo, the Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is not sitting pretty. While the suit instituted by the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, to remove him from office, following his defection to APC last year is in progress, there are grand plans also to kick him out through legislative means. The governor has not been able to get all the APGA and PDP legislators into APC. APGA retained five out of its 11 lawmakers in the House. The leaderships of the two parties have tightened their control of their lawmakers, with a mandate to initiate impeachment proceedings, if need be. Trouble for the governor began, when the factionalisation and crises in APGA ceased last month. APGA initiated wide reaching measures to unite the party in the South-east ahead of the elections next year. Okorocha, who had all along reaped from the seemingly intractable crises in the party, is now contending with a unity that is fashioned towards winning the 2015 governorship elections straight from his jaws. The icing on the cake is put on the paltry salaries and allowances paid to the lawmakers in the “name of rescue mission.’ He has been given up to September 9, when the House reconvenes to pay the legislators arrears of their entitlements amounting to N420m (four hundred and twenty million naira). The governor is pleading for time to pay up in a split arrangement, covering four times, leading up to December this year. 24 of the 26 lawmakers (excluding the Speaker Chief Benjamin Uwajuogu and his Deputy, Donatus Ozoemena) have signed up to the plot. Oguta constituency is not represented as their election matter is still in court. Although, the government is denying that there is any problem with the House, Sunday Sun, indeed confirmed that the government is making frantic moves to appease the legislators. Two friendly APC governors in the South-south and South-west are indeed suing for peace and have pledged unstated financial support to the governor to stave off the impeachment proceedings. But the current threat by the lawmakers to impeach him could be viewed as arm-twisting tactics by the legislators to force the governor to pay them their entitlements. Okorocha, during the inauguration of the state party executives at all levels recently had alluded to the plot allegedly by the PDP to remove him from office. He revealed to the party faithful at the International Conference Center, Owerri, that one of the APC legislators who he did not name had brought the alleged ten million naira (N10m), which was given to every member of the House to impeach him. However, there are feelers that the impeachment threat on Governor Okorocha by Imo legislators may have been dropped after they were assured that all their entitlements would be paid before their resumption of plenary. A top government functionary hinted Sunday Sun that the issue of impeachment has been dropped, as they had been strongly assured that their grievances will be resolved. The top APC hierarchy is also disturbed over the bug and has issued an alert to all governors on its platform to take more than a passing interest in the affairs of the legislatures. The party believes that the wind of impeachments blowing in the country is solely targeted at its governors, vowing to take every legal means to halt it. Rivers In Rivers state, the lingering moves to take out Amaechi which predated all the aforementioned ones is yet to thaw completely. Sunday Sun learnt that deft moves are still being made to some members of the House to defect to PDP with promises of automatic ticket to the House of Representatives, Senate and ministerial seats next year. The moves which were uncovered two weeks ago, forced Amaechi to get the legislators who had hitherto remained in their respective parties, to formally declare for the APC, damning looming threats of a judicial declaration of their seats vacant. The lobby for protection has also extended to the judiciary. The leadership of the APC has also enjoined their governors to forge and sustain a cordial relationship with the Chief Judges of their states, who in the event of an order from the House to set up a probe panel, may hide under any perceptible constitutional breach to frustrate it. Even, the non-appointment of a substantive chief judge in the state, after the disengagement from service of the immediate past Chief Judge, Justice Iche Ndu, in August, 2013, has been attributed to fears by Governor Amaechi, that appointing Justice Daisy Okocha, who is believed to be the most senior judge of the state High Court, would work against him. Early in July, 2014, it was rumoured that the anti-Amaechi lawmakers met somewhere in Port Harcourt to perfect their plot to impeach the governor. While the rumour was on, the 25 pro-Amaechi House of Assembly members, during plenary, officially announced their defection to the APC. Pro-Amaechi lawmakers, who currently sit at the old Government House Chambers, are his staunch supporters, and may not be favourably pre-disposed to any move to unseat him. Edo The crisis rocking the Edo State House of Assembly has been linked to an attempt to impeach the Speaker of the House, Mr. Uyi Igbe and Governor Adams Oshiomhole by some former key players of the All Progressives Congress (APC), working in collaboration with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. Following their dissatisfaction with the conduct of the state, ward and local government congresses of the APC, which outcome indicated that they had lost a grip of the party control and might not be able to realize their governorship ambitions, they led their supporters, including four lawmakers in the House of Assembly to defect to the PDP. It was alleged that a plot was hatched to induce more members of the APC in the House with money to defect to the PDP in order to carry out the impeachment plan, but the APC saw through the plot and quickly moved to suspend three of the defected lawmakers and the deputy speaker on June 9, 2014 from the sittings of the House indefinitely over allegations of gross misconduct. The suspension of the four lawmakers has since triggered counter-suspensions and legal suits and polarizing of the House into 15 APC and nine PDP law makers, with the two sets of legislators having their different sittings. Indeed, if there was ever an attempt to impeach the Speaker of the House, and Oshiomhole as alleged, the deft move by the Governor and the APC-controlled Assembly has put the impeachment plot in disarray, as the House only last Wednesday took further steps to deplete the ranks of the PDP lawmakers by declaring vacant the seat of Abdul Razaq Momoh, one of the legislators who defected to the PDP. Ebonyi In Ebonyi State, there are two persons parading themselves as Speakers of the House of Assembly following the alleged impeachment of Mr. Chukwuma Nwazunku as speaker and the election of Mrs. Helen Nwobashi as new speaker. The House on July 21, 2014 with 18 members out of the 24 members of the Assembly, as early as 6am announced the impeachment of Nwazunku and elected Nwobashi as the speaker. But since then, the two speakers have been sitting in different places. The Assembly members in a seven-point allegation accused Nwazunku of incompetence, and constitutional breaches, saying that section 104 of the Constitution which provides that the Assembly must sit for a minimum period of 181 days in a year was violated as the House sat for only 71 times. They also accused the impeached speaker of misappropriation of funds to the tune of N120 million among other allegations. But Nwazunku said that his impeachment by some members was illegal and an act of criminality, because according to him, the House was on recess and he never called the House to reconvene. He maintained that he still remained the speaker. According to him, “It is illegality. They are criminals who broke into the House, and we are on recess. If they are talking about impeachment, there are procedures for that which they have not followed, and three members are on suspension. I have the majority of the House. They are intact. Anybody who is saying that is causing confusion and deceiving himself.” The new Speaker, Nwobashi reaffirmed that her election as Speaker is irrevocable as there are claims by some dissidents that the House of Assembly has resolved issues that led to the impeachment of the former Speaker. The House after the impeachment suspended Hon Nwazunku, Obasi Odefa Odefa representing Onicha East, Ogbonnaya Nwifuru representing Izzi west and Mabel Aleke representing Ohaukwu South. However, Governor Martin Elechi’s immediate intervention over the impasse in the House did not yield any fruit because members did not shift ground. But Elechi in a press briefing said that he would continue to mediate over the matter to ensure a peaceful House of Assembly. He lamented the incessant impeachment and suspension of members of the Assembly since 2011, stressing that over the years the state Assembly had been adjudged the most peaceful House in the country. According to Elechi, “My position is this: I concede the House members’ right to effect changes in leadership whenever they feel the need arises. Whenever they are doing that, it must be with due regards to the nation’s Constitution. But most importantly, in making those changes, they must ensure that the integrity, dignity and honour of the House are preserved. By so doing, we will collectively ensure that lives and property in the state are protected.” The crisis led to the attack of the Majority Leader of the House, Sam Nwali by unknown gunmen who seriously injured him. He is now receiving treatment in hospitals outside the state where doctors are battling to save his life. The Assembly complex had been under seal by the police with heavy armed policemen guarding the place to ensure that none of the members of any of the camps breaks into the place to sit or do any other business. Meanwhile, the intervention of the founding fathers of the state was still on after they met with the two camps for two days, but they are yet to resolve the impasse. The question is, who is the authentic speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly? Ogun In Ogun, where intra-party crises are rocking the soul of the government, the PDP is exploiting it to its advantage. A faction led by former governor Segun Osoba is locked up in strife with the one led by Governor Ibikunle Amosun. Intervention by leaders of the APC to resolve the impasse and strengthen the bonds of unity in the party is yet to cut any ice. The PDP has also not made any tangible headway in wooing the members of Osoba’s faction, which comprises nearly a quarter of the lawmakers in the House of Assembly. Wind of impeachment threat has also spread to Oke-Mosan, the seat of power in Ogun State, where the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi is facing hard times among his members. Also, there are hatched plans and moves to impeach the state governor, Senator Amosun. The alleged sin of the speaker is that he withheld the House’s allocation for four months, as well as unilaterally extended the resumption date of the House indefinitely. On his part, Amosun is accused of reckless borrowing from banks at high commercial interest rates. This has necessitated the divided Assembly to have allegedly raised a 14-point impeachable offences, which they planned to present on resumption. Apparently acting on the impeachment rumour, Adekunbi had ordered indefinite suspension of resumption of the House. The Deputy Speaker, Tola Banjo is also facing the impeachment threat from an opposition group known as “The Rebuilders.” Sunday Sun learnt that there was a likelihood that the impeachment threat would not work, as the 26-member House is divided. Until recently, the House was largely dominated by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, which has further split into two. The major factions in the ruling party are the Ibikunle Amosun and the Olusegun Osoba factions. The Osoba group is already perfecting plans to defect to a new party. Aside from the impeachment plot, Sunday Sun also gathered that there are imminent defection plans among the legislators. During the last election, the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) won 17 seats, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) had six and three members respectively. Soon after its inauguration, three PDP legislators defected to the ruling party, giving the ruling party majority of 20 members. However, things have fallen apart in the House with the emergence of the Amosun and Osoba factions. As a result of the internal wranglings rocking the ruling party, a member of the House, Samson Onademuren, recently in Abeokuta stated that 10 APC legislators had concluded plans to defect to PDP. The lawmaker, who represents the Ijebu North East State Constituency said; “I can tell you authoritatively that members of G-13 where I am the Secretary are ready to join the PDP. I have come as the Secretary of the G-13 members of the state House of Assembly to take the flag of the PDP. I want to say that all of us have decided to join the PDP,” he stated. Whether the impeachment threats against Amosun on the one hand, and the speaker on the other, will materialize or not, only time time will tell. Kano Sunday Sun learnt that the impeachment bug sweeping through the country is just a dress rehearsal for the PDP to position itself effectively ahead of next year’s elections. In Kano state, although the Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso enjoys a healthy relationship with the legislative arm of government, the state is not considered as an entirely APC state. With an intimidating Pan-Nigerian settlement profile, the combined efforts of Kwankwaso and other big doyens of the APC in the state have not been able to completely rout pro-PDP sentiments and interests in the state. The Presidency and PDP consider Kano State as a “strategic state” and are not leaving any stone unturned in their bid to claim it. They believe it will open the gateway to other states in the North-west zone in particular, and the North in general, in the elections next year. The Presidency has successfully wooed a number of high net-worth politicians in the state to its side in an enthralling and intriguing game. To boost the camp of the PDP is the immediate past Governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, and the Emir of Kano. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, with whom the Presidency had a running battle until his coronation last month. While Shekarau is now the Minister of Education under PDP, Sanusi is said to have dropped his trenchant anti-President Jonathan sentiments. Both camps are keeping an alert radar on the legislature in a pulsating game of wits, guts, and size. Who blinks first depends on the subsisting issues and circumstances. Jigawa In Neighbouring Jigawa State, the Governor, Mallam Sule Lamido’s political astuteness has been brought to bear in the battle for the soul of the state. Before his reported expression of interest for the presidential seat in next year’s elections, he had thrown an iron-clad wand around the legislature. Sunday Sun, however, learnt that the state was not part of the states to be covered by the PDP’s impeachment radar. Doves in the PDP had sued for a soft approach to his disagreement with the party and the Presidency. He is believed to be a mere pawn in the hands of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whose hold on the party structures is best described as fleeting. Warning signals, through the arrest and prosecution of his son on money laundering charges are yet to yield the maximum desired results. Sokoto In Sokoto, the Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, has so far had it so easy. Not even the celebrated rift between him and his predecessor in office, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, who is now a doyen of the PDP has rattled him. Notwithstanding the deep political division in the state of the sultanate, the governor sleeps with his eyes closed. There is yet no open plot from any quarters to discomfit him. He enjoys a robust relationship with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Tambuwal who is largely perceived as his possible successor. Plateau Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State has had to contend with a restive legislature in the past few months. The House, which is dominated by PDP members decided to tackle him over welfare issues. Feelers from the state, however, indicate that the brewing storm has died down. Sunday Sun learnt that the impeachment bug sweeping through the country is just a dress rehearsal for the PDP to deepen its tentacles and oil the wheels of victory in next year’s general elections. “It will continue. It is all part of democracy. The largest party in Africa will not sit by and allow others change the course of its march. The PDP is awake now,” a renowned PDP leader from the South-west who recently obtained a landmark court judgement boasted to Sunday sun. Original link Read More goo.gl/n9AlSy (y) ✍comment ☏share
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 00:14:33 +0000
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