Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Bello, has claimed that his security personnel were withdrawn at 2.00a.m. on Thursday by the Kogi State Commissioner of Police.
This was just as Bello and other principal officers, who were said to have been impeached in controversial circumstances, stormed Abuja on Thursday after holding a parallel parliamentary sitting in Lokoja, wherethey resolved to write to the United Nations agencies and the international donors to rescue the state from flooding.
Bello further stated that the faction that purportedly impeach him acted contrary to the constitution, adding that a two-third majority was needed to impeach the speaker,but only 11 members signed the impeachment out of 25 members.
Among other resolutions made available to newsmen in Abuja by the Bello-led 13 member legislators was the sack of Honourable Habibat Deen, representing Ankpa 1 constituency, after a vote of no confidence was passed on her and was immediately replaced by Honourable Abdullahi Zakari, representing Ankpa 11 constituency as Deputy Chief Whip.
The faction recalled the member representingOlamaboro constituency, Honourable Damian Adejoh, who, it claimed, it erroneously sackedand also apologied to the entire state for its earlier action.
The lawmakers called on President Goodluck Jonathan and the Inpector General Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to call the state Commissioner of Police, M.M. Katsina, to orderfor allegedly withdrawing the security operatives attached to the speaker.
The faction further stated that it would go tocourt to explore legal options in the next few days.
According to Bello, "Some minority members of the Kogi State House of Assembly broke into the House of Assembly with a fake mace and purportedly sacked the Speaker and all the principal officers. It shows the low qualityof their minds and by the grace of God, the great people of Kogi State will resist the illegality."