Some leaders from the South-South geo-political zone said in Abuja on Wednesday that there was nothing new in using the minority to impeach the majority.
The leaders, who were 14 in number, spoke at the residence of their leader, Chief Edwin Clark, on the attempt by five lawmakers in the Rivers State House Assembly to impeach the Speaker, who had the backing of 27 members.
Though the South-South leaders said they were not in support of any form of impeachment process other the one provided for in the Nigerian Constitution, they however said it was unfortunate that those criticising the crisis in the Rivers State House of Assembly kept quiet when such actions were carried out in other states.
Reading a prepared speech, the Deputy Chairman of the group, Air Cdre. Idongesit Nkanga (retd.), said, "When the Ogun State House of Assembly was enmeshed in crisis, where lawmakers used all sorts of cudgels, including firearms, to brutalise one another, where were those criticising the Rivers mayhem?
"When Governor Rashidi Ladoja of Oyo State was impeached by the minority members in the Oyo State House of Assembly, an action that paved the way for the emergence of former Governor Christopher Alao-Akala where were they?"
But it will be recalled that the Supreme Court reversed the action of the lawmakers in the state and restored Ladoja as the governor.
Nkanga also cited the case of Adamawa State, where he said the party was factionalised and and that there were two state executives of the Peoples Democratic Party.
According to him, one faction is loyal to the national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, while the other faction is loyal to the Governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako(retd.).
He said it was evident that the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, was not ready to work with the PDP, stressing that the governor should resign from the party or be expelled by its leadership.
Nkanga said, "No party leader, including those presently manipulating Amaechi, can tolerate the high level of insubordination and disrespect he has continually shown. We, therefore, advise Governor Amaechi to resign honourably from the party.
"Failing this, we call on the leadership of the PDP to take stringent measures to expel him to bring sanity to the party and to serve as a deterrent to other renegade members."
Asked why it had been difficult for elders from the zone to have solved the problem between the President and the governor, Clark said, "Several attempts have been made by the South-South elders and stakeholders to resolve the difference between President Jonathan and Governor Amaechi, but each time a meeting was scheduled, Governor Amaechi would not show up at the appointed time."
The Punch