Lagos lawyer and rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to put an end to what he described as legislative recklessness following the move by Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly to impeach the governor of the state, Tanko Al-Makura.
Falana said on Saturday that the wave of impeachment in some parts of the country was part of the “planned manipulation” of the ruling PDP to “rig the 2015 general election”.
He added that the Presidency could no maintain its innocence in the “legislative recklessness” currently on display in Nasarawa State.
The PDP-dominated Nasarawa Assembly in a sitting somewhere in Karu, close to Abuja, the nation’s capital on Wednesday, had passed a resolution asking the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Suleiman Dikko, to dissolve the investigative panel he earlier set up to investigate the impeachment allegations levelled against the governor.
However, many have condemned the call by the House of Assembly, saying once the Chief Judge set up a panel as required by law, the process could not be aborted except by a valid court order.
This much was confirmed by the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who called on Jonathan to intervene in the developments in Nasarawa State as they portended grave implication for the stability of the country.
His statement reads in part, “It is no longer a secret that the wave of impeachment sweeping across the nation is part of the planned manipulation of the 2015 general election in favour of the ruling party.
“In the process, the dubious agenda of turning Nigeria into a one party state will be achieved.
“In view of the potential danger which the trend portends for political stability in the country the illegality which has characterised the ongoing impeachment of the governor of Nasarawa State, Governor Tanko Al-Makura, must be halted by President Goodluck Jonathan forthwith.
“It is no longer sufficient to distance the Presidency from the legislative recklessness being exhibited with impunity by the legislators. If the Presidency is not involved in what has become recurrent illegalities who stopped the Edo State police command from arresting four suspended legislators from conducting mock proceedings of the Edo State House of Assembly? Why is the Edo State police command helpless when both the high court and the court of appeal have ordered the suspended legislators to desist from treating court orders with disdain?”
He faulted the proceedings of the Nasarawa Assembly, which had been sitting at a venue outside the chambers of the House of Assembly in Lafia.
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