Indications of dangerous signs ahead of the 2015 general elections, especially in states controlled by the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC), was manifestly demonstrated with the successful impeachment of former governor of Adamawa State, Rear Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd), by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-dominated Adamawa State House of Assembly. This is as same dagger of impeachment is currently hanging on the governor of Nassarawa State, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, following an impeachment notice served the embattled governor.
The fall of Ekiti State to the PDP, during the June 21, 2014 governorship election, may have set the stage to perfect plots for the party to reclaim lost states controlled by the APC back to the PDP, ahead of the 2015 elections. The crisis rocking the Houses of Assembly in Rivers and Edo states, both in the South-South geopolitical zone, was a pointer of a grand plan using the lawmakers to oust governors.
In Edo State, where Comrade Adams Oshiomhole holds sway, the State House of Assembly is completely polarised with the PDP and APC lawmakers holding separate sittings, following the slamming of suspension on four APC members who defected to the PDP; their defection brings the PDP lawmakers in the House to 9 while the APC controls 15 members majority.
The suspended lawmakers were accused by Oshiomhole of decamping to the PDP, after being induced from Abuja with a whooping N75 million each, while they were also contracted to woo other APC members to the PDP, thereby giving the PDP the majority which will set the stage for the eventual impeachment of the governor. However, the arrow head of the renege group, and the impeached deputy speaker, Hon. Festus Ebea, had repeatedly denied the allegations.
Disturbed by the trend of events in APC controlled states, the national leadership of the party recently stormed Edo State Government House in Benin City, in an apparent show of solidarity with the comrade governor, where they declared their support for the sustenance and continuity of his administration even in the face of what the leaders described as the “Show of impunity and political rascality by members of PDP controlled federal government.”
The APC delegation on the solidarity visit were Rivers State governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi; former governor of Abia State, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu; former governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki; minority leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajamila; former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir El Rufai; the APC national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the party’s national secretary, Akabu Kali; among others.
The national chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, who led national leaders of the party to Oshiomhole, declared, “After due considerations at a meeting held on Friday, we decided that it was immediate and urgent that we pay a visit to you, to come and tell you
and of course the legislators that we know what you have been passing through, we understand and we are glad with the way you have been managing what you have been going through. This kind of rascality and indiscipline must not be seen to be rewarded. Against all odds, you have remained firm and this is the spirit of the new APC.”
Apparently referring to the orchestrated impeachment plot against APC governors, Oyegun said, “Besides the Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, you are the most current target of attack in their quest to destabilise APC governors. For this simple reason you are not alone.
“What the party, APC has come to realise is a properly mapped out war by the PDP to destabilise the APC. The APC has decided strongly that it is time that this rascality of the PDP should have consequences. So, we are not going to sit back any more and roll over and accept what is being dished out to us because the level of impunity is becoming totally unacceptable.
“The rate at which institutions of state, especially security institutions, are being undermined and destroyed can no longer be accepted and tolerated. We read in newspapers, the way the police have been used to protect eight or nine people against lawful decisions of court, against lawful and majority-controlled House of Assembly.
The APC national chairman urged the comrade governor to continue with the provision of good governance to the people of the state, stressing that the leadership of APC will continue to give him their support.
Responding, Governor Adams Oshiomhole, on behalf of the state and leadership of the state legislature, thanked Oyegun, and other members for leading a high powered delegation of APC on a solidarity visit to Government House.
Oshiomhole said, “Let me thank you sir, for your decision to pay us a visit and all that you have said. Of course, this is your state; you know the actors and all that are involved. You are very familiar with the environment and you are one of the leaders of Edo Community. I think what people refer to basically as crisis in Edo State is something so described because we are not English people and we do not have the right words to use.
“My view is that, the refusal by four suspended members of the PDP of a 24 member House would be a decision validly taken by their own House on the basis of rules governing the House that they are a part of, so, their insubordination has not in any way translated to a crisis. Ordinarily, this should be seen as the internal affairs of the House that should bother only the members of the House”.
Continuing, the governor said, “Whether the House chooses to suspend a member or appoint a member on assignment or whatever, given the principles of separation of powers, that should not have anything to do with anyone but members of the House, particularly when it has become traditional that various Houses of Assembly at one time or the other either for the right reasons or the wrong reasons, at the state and even at the national level have had cause to suspend their members.