PDP Bigwigs Move To Stall Al-makura’s Impeachment: 6:39am;;Labaran Maku, Ewuga, Danboyi listed as anchor men Chuks Okocha Unable to accurately calculate where the pendulum would swing should the embattled Governor of Nasarawa, Tanko Al-Makura, be removed, top governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state are said to be perfecting plans aimed at scuttling the impeachment process against the governor. The calculation is that once Al- Makura is impeached and Luka Barau assumes office, the power of incumbency would be to his advantage, as he would hold forth as governor till the February 2015 governorship election thus reducing their chances of ever being in the race. THISDAY gathered that this development is not in the political interest of the top PDP governorship aspirants, hence the plot to scuttle and throw open the governorship primary election of the party The PDP governorship aspirants said to be linked with the impeachment manoeuvres are the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, Senator Solomon Ewuga and former Senator John Danboyi. THISDAY was reliably informed that the plot by to stop the impeachment of Al-Makura is hinged on the fear that the immediate beneficiary of the impeachment would be the deputy governor, Barau, who defected from the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to the PDP. According to the source, “With the impeachment of the governor, the deputy governor would become the substantive governor since it was a joint ticket. This is unlike the impeachment of Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State and his deputy, James Ngillari, and the assumption of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Fintiri, as the acting governor pending 90 days for a new election.” All of them belong to the Northern senatorial zone of the state and have not produced a governor since the creation of the state by the regime of late General Sani Abacha. Originally, Al-Makura and Barau were PDP members who defected to CPC to contest the governorship election in 2011 when they were denied the governorship ticket in favour of the incumbent, Akwe Doma, who was later defeated in the poll by Al- Makura and Barau. But with the defection of Al-Makura from CPC to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the refusal of Barau to defect with him, and the deputy governor’s eventual defection back to the PDP, he becomes the most senior PDP member in the state. THISDAY was told that the Minister of Information, Maku and Senator Ewuga are from the Nasarawa Eggon axis in the Northern Senatorial District, while the incumbent governor, Al-Makura is from the Southern Senatorial axis of Lafia. The former governor that ruled the state from May 27, 2007 to 2011 is from Doma, which is also from the Southern Senatorial District. Barau is from the Nasarawa Central district of the Akwanga axis. The contest for the governorship election is a straight battle between Barau if he becomes the substantive governor with the eventual impeachment of Al-Makura against Maku, Danboyi and Ewuga. The former governor, Doma, is also said to be in the race, as he insists that his zone is yet to complete the eight years tenure, as he spent four years. With the power of incumbency, the fear is that the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP would be prevailed upon to allow the deputy governor become the governor and it would be difficult for other governorship aspirants to unseat Barau. According to the source, “Several clandestine meetings have been on with the aim of thwarting the impeachment process against Al- Makura.” All attempts to speak with the Minister of Information proved abortive. A short text message was sent to his phone and he responded with an empty message. As at press time, the deputy governor, Barau, was still in Abuja where he had relocated to along with the state’s lawmakers. The fear is high that he could be attacked if he ventures into the state.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 07:46:37 +0000
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