CALL it a season of impeachments and you may not be wrong. Why? A gale of impeachment is sweeping the polity and has left many elected officers licking their wounds and a host of others on the verge of being swept out of their plum positions for serious and flimsy reasons.
Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose and his Deputy, have in the past couple of weeks fighting the battle of their political lives to avoid being impeached by 19 members of the state House of Assembly. In Ebonyi, Governor Martin Elechi narrowly escaped the impeachment scare.
Last month, a Niger State High Court restrained the Niger State House of Assembly from impeaching the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Musa Ibeto.
While the likes of Elechi and Ibeto are ‘lucky’ the story is different for a number of deputy governors, speakers and deputy speakers of houses of assembly that have been shown the way out.
Kebbi Assembly Speaker impeached over breach of trust, embezzlement
Speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, Hon. Hassan Muhammad Shalla, was on Tuesday impeached for alleged breach of trust and embezzlement of allowances by 12 of the 24 members of the House.
The sitting was presided by Hon. Abubakar Sabo of Birnin Kebbi North constituency in the absence of the Speaker and his deputy.
The impeachment motion was moved by Hon. Aminu Gumbi of Yauri constituency and seconded by Hon. Aliyu Mutubare of Kalgo constituency.
Hon. Habib Musa Jega, who was impeached in a controversial manner in December 2014, was re-appointed speaker by a motion by Hon. Bala Danbaba Waje, seconded by Hon. Mohammed Dantani Yellow from Shanga constituency.
Confusion in Adamawa as 9 lawmakers impeach speaker at govt House
The lingering crisis between the Executive and Legislative arms of Government in Adamawa State came to its climax on Tuesday when nine members believed to be loyal to Governor Bala Ngilari sat at the Conference hall of Adamawa Government House and impeached Speaker Ahmadu Umaru
Fintiri and his Deputy, Barrister Kwamoti La’ori.
In the wake of the just concluded general election, the legislators went on a three-week recess to allow members participate in the electoral process.
But a day to the resumption of the House, 11 members believed to be loyal to the governor issued a statement expressing their dissatisfaction with Fintiri’s leadership style and threatened to effect a change in the House leadership.
The threat forced Fintiri to shift the plenary sitting which ought to commence on Monday April 20 to Monday April 27 and even at that the House could not convene on the day.
The House of Assembly remained under lock and key prompting the aggrieved lawmakers to issue another statement warning that since the speaker could not open the House for legislative functions, they have no alternative than to sit somewhere else.
Consequently, nine of the 11 aggrieved lawmakers, on Tuesday convened at the conference hall of the Government House where they impeached the speaker and his deputy.
Consistent refusal
Olanusi
As soon as the nine lawmakers arrived the conference room, the member representing Gombi constituency, Hon Jerry Kumdisi moved for the appointment of Wale Fwa as Protem speaker and was seconded by the member representing Girei constituency, Abubakar Umar Girei.
While leading the session, the Protem speaker Fwa said they convened the session following the consistent refusal of Fintiri to open the House after series of entreaties made to him fell on deaf ears.
She added that majority of the lawmakers have lost confidence in the leadership of Fintiri as a result of which 17 lawmakers representing 2/3 of the lawmakers duly signed for the impeachment of the speaker and his deputy.
“All the members who signed the impeachment notice have resolved to remove the speaker and his deputy,” she noted.
It was at this point that the member representing Verre constituency, Hon. Salihu Kabillo moved for the impeachment of the speaker and his deputy leading to the removal of Fintir
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