The plan is for the six lawmakers, who are currently opposed to Governor Amaechi and have refused to participate in the sittings of the majority 25 others, who are members of the APC like the governor, to convene a sitting of the House, with Evans Bipi presiding as the Speaker.
At that sitting, it was gathered, one of them would
move a motion for the suspension of the other 25 APC members, after which they
would proceed with the impeachment of Governor Amaechi.
Sources close to the plotters revealed that with
the appointment of Justice Daisy Okocha as administrative Chief Judge of the
state by the National Judicial Council (NJC), it would be easy for the six
lawmakers to get a panel, which will investigate the offences to be listed
against Amaechi, as the Constitution specifies.
The Rivers State Government had rejected Justice
Okocha as the administrative Chief Judge, following the controversy on her
appointment. A Federal High Court had rejected Amaechi’s appointment of Justice
Peter Agumagu as Acting Chief Judge.
In the court’s ruling, the presiding judge,
Justice Lambo Akanbi, described the controversy surrounding the appointment of
an acting chief judge in Rivers State as needless, adding that the 1999
Constitution was explicit on matter.
The court stated: “The question as to who qualifies
to be appointed as acting Chief Judge of the state has generated a lot of
needless controversy. The provision of Section 271, sub-section 4 of the
Constitution is very clear, explicit and without ambiguity. It says the
governor shall appoint the most senior judge of the High Court.
“I have evidence before me unchallenged that his
Lordship, my Lord, the Honourable Justice P.N.C Agumagu is a judge and indeed,
the President of the Customary Court of Appeal of Rivers State. The inevitable
conclusion I have reached is that His Lordship, the Honourable Justice P.N.C.
Agumagu, is not qualified as a state High Court judge, hence, he is not
suitable and unqualified to be appointed as Acting Chief Judge of the High
Court of Rivers State.
“The only consequential order I should make in the
circumstance is to direct the governor to comply with the constitutional
provision on the appointment of an Acting Chief Judge of the state High Court
as provided under Section 271, sub-section 4 of the 1999 Constitution. That
shall be the judgment of the court.”
When contacted of the fresh plot to remove Amaechi
from office, some officials in the state government, who pleaded anonymity,
confirmed that they were aware of the plot.
One of them stated: “They are hell bent on removing
Governor Amaechi for reasons best known to them. This is not the first time or
the second time they have plotted to remove our governor, albeit illegally. Their
plot is illegal, unconstitutional.
“In a legislature of 31 members, six cannot sit in
someone’s private sitting room and claim to have impeached a governor. That is
impunity. This is a democracy. They should be careful not to truncate our
democracy with all these reckless acts.”
Governor Amaechi has been embattled for some time
now. He was suspended from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after he went
to court in protest of the dissolution of the state executives of the party and
the recognition of another exco by the then Alhaji Bamanga Tukur-led PDP.
The crisis that engulfed the PDP in Rivers State
had led to a violent clash in the House of Assembly, leading to the physical
injury of some lawmakers.
The state also witnessed mass protest by people
against and for Governor Amaechi.
The governor defected to the APC last year, with
four other governors that had been elected on the platform of the PDP. They
are: Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara)
and Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano).
Do you get punish for changing your party?
ReplyDelete