Rivers PDP denies plot to impeach Amaechi

[TGD]

 • Lawyers oppose  removal bid

CONTRARY to the position of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Otelemaba Amachree, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has no plan to impeach Governor Chibuike Amaechi.

The state party chairman, Felix Obuah, who declared this Wednesday, said the claim by Amachree that a fake mace had been smuggled into the state to enable five members of the House hold an emergency session was aimed at misleading the public.

Already, some lawyers have condemned the alleged move to remove Amaechi.

While addressing members of the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Peoples Forum led by Ibe Eresia-Eke, Oduah observed that some party members in the state were aggrieved and that his primary mission was to unify all contending groups.

Obuah was declared the chairman of the party last month by an Abuja High Court which sacked the Godspower Ake-led state executive of the party said to be pro-Amaechi.

The chairman's suspension of 27 out of the 32 members of the State House of Assembly from the PDP and declaration of their seats vacant as well as the issuance of a 48-hour ultimatum to Amaechi to explain the status of the state's Bombardier BD 700 Global Express jet, had generated anxiety of a possible ploy to impeach the governor.

He explained that his mission as chairman of the party was not to create problems for the administration of Amaechi whom he declared he was ready to work with to ensure that the state's resources were evenly distributed among all the local councils.

The chairman explained that he did not at any time plan to use the five members of the state legislature not suspended to impeach Amaechi whom he described as the political leader of Rivers State. He, however, warned that the party would no longer condone any elected official who fails to deliver on his mandate.

"None of my executive has thought to impeach the governor. It is not my duty to impeach the governor. I know the limit of my office as party chairman...we want prudent management of our resources. The party will support the government to use our resources judiciously. I have not hatched a plan to impeach the governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi", he said.

On the 48-hour ultimatum given to the governor to explain the ownership of the state jet, Obuah said the party in its magnanimity would meet to consider the extension of time to be briefed on the status of the contentious jet.

Obuah charged Amaechi to be transparent in his leadership of the state as the party was not antagonistic to his administration.   He stressed that the primary focus of his administration was to ensure that the party emerged victorious in the 2015 general elections and other subsequent ones.

He berated the Leader of the State House of Assembly, Chidi Lloyd, for referring to him as a factional leader of PDP. He said that there was only one PDP family in Rivers State for which he was the authentic chairman.

The youth leader of the party, Major Jack, has urged youths in the state not to allow themselves to be used by politicians who might want to capitalise on the prevailing situation to cause chaos.

Condemning the purported move to impeach Amaechi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) chieftain, Chief Emeka Ngige, said: "It is not a new phenomenon in our national politics. It has been done before in Anambra, Oyo, Bayelsa, Plateau and Abia states during the inglorious regime of Olusegun Obasanjo. To the credit of the Judiciary, those illegal impeachments were nullified."

He continued: "So, history is repeating itself and sadly, the politicians have learnt nothing from history. I think with a no-nonsense National Judicial Council (NJC) now watching, let us see whether a kangaroo impeachment will be allowed to play out in Rivers State."

Also reacting, a former NBA first vice president, Mr. Ikeazor Akaraiwe, said in Enugu: "President Jonathan wants to sow the wind. He may reap the whirlwind. The world has moved on since Obasanjo. He (Jonathan) may not get away with what Obasanjo got away with."

In his own reaction, a Lagos-based Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adekunle Ogunba, said: "That is a classical example of tyranny of the minority patently backed by federal might. It is a template of our variant of democracy, which is ordinarily the manifestation of the will of the majority. We practise democracy in the reverse order".

The Chairman of the NBA, Ikeja Branch, Mr. Monday Ubani, described the planned removal as a pure absurdity.

Ubani said it was a sign that Nigeria was gradually descending into dictatorship and a state of anomie because of the ambition of few people who want to remain in power at all cost.

He said: "We have passed through this road before and we knew where it took us to.

"Again, we are witnessing a repeat and we shall see the end of this absurdity.

"The Nigeria Judiciary will again be called to examine the absurdity of their action if they dare carry out their illegality and I am hopeful that they will declare their stupid action null and void at the appropriate time. Let us watch and see."

His Lagos branch counterpart, Taiwo Taiwo, however wants President Goodluck Jonathan to act like a statesman and a true democrat by calling on the troublemakers to sheathe the sword.

And Lagos-based constitutional lawyer, Fred Agbaje, said the development would only heat up the polity.

He asked: "Why is the Federal Government so jittery about the rising political influence of Amaechi? Is Amaechi not a Nigerian citizen who can aspire to any political office in Nigeria?

"Political sovereignty constitutionally lies with the people of Nigeria not our political rulers. Therefore, they should allow the people of Nigeria to decide who will govern them instead of the present approach aimed at silencing opposition."

For the Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Bamidele Aturu, whatever that is done without compliance with the constitution's prescription is invalid and would be nullified by the court.

The constitution is clear that only two-thirds of the members of a state House of Assembly can impeach a governor.

He, however, said that the lesson for the likes of Amaechi who supported the removal of fuel subsidy was that supporting or being part of dictatorship was a double-edged sword.

Another human rights lawyer, Malachy Ugwummadu, said it was still within the realm of speculation.



The Guardian