PDP plots five rebel govs’ impeachment

 

Ex-PDP govs.

The Peoples Democratic Party is plotting to influence state lawmakers to impeach five governors who defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress last week.

SUNDAY PUNCH’s investigations in Abuja on Friday showed that the ruling party would soon set up committees to lobby members of the houses of assembly to impeach the governors.

The governors who defected are Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State. Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano; AbdulFatah Ahmed of Kwara; Murtala Nyako of Adamawa and Aliyu Wamako of Sokoto State.

However, Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, and his Jigawa State counterpart, Sule Lamido, who are also among the PDP rebel governors, said that they had not left the ruling party. Nevertheless, the two governors have remained vocal about their displeasure with the state of the PDP.

It was learnt that the committee in each of the states would work out modalities to get members of the houses of  assembly loyal to the PDP to move against the five governors.

It was also gathered that the impeachment plot, which members of the National Working Committee, had been considering since the governors joined the APC on Tuesday, would be formally adopted at the committee’s emergency meeting on Monday.

In addition to lobbying for the removal of the governors, the committees are also to be tasked with the responsibilities of ensuring that the PDP members in the state houses of assembly remain in the party.

Then again, a senior party official who spoke on the condition of anonymity told our correspondent that the party had not completely shut its door against the governors who defected. It was learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan, at today’s (Sunday) meeting with the rebel governors’, would appeal to those who had defected to the APC to change their minds. But the source added that the impeachment plan would be set in motion if the President’s appeal was not heeded.

The source said, “This plan is going to form part of the deliberations during the emergency meeting of the party’s National Working Committee on Monday.

“The plan is to set up a committee made up of trusted members of the party in the affected states to identify loyal party members in the houses of assembly to maintain the party’s hold. These governors cannot have their cake and eat it.

“If we are able to get the majority of the lawmakers in any of the states to support us, the house of assembly in such a state will commence impeachment proceedings against the state governor.”

The party confirmed to one of our reporters that it was considering how to deal with those who used its platform to get to office and later ditched it.

The National Legal Adviser of the party, Mr. Victor Kwom, who disclosed this via the telephone, on Thursday, said the party had not foreclosed any of the options available to it.

While responding to inquiries on whether the party would seek the removal of the affected governors from office, Kwom said “We have not foreclosed any angle on this matter. We are considering all options.”

When contacted, spokesman for the Sokoto State governor, Mr. Sani Umar, said his principal was out of the country, adding that he was not in a position to respond to any inquiry on the issue.

His counterpart in Adamawa State, Ahmad Sajoh, on behalf of Governor Murtala Nyako said, “Everyone has a destiny and it walks towards you. You cannot change it. Let them do their worst and God will choose the best for the faithful.”

The spokesman for the Kano State governor, Baba Dantiye said, “Let’s wait and see what happens on Sunday.”

The Presidency however, said President Goodluck Jonathan was not interested in removing any governor. The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Mr. Ahmed Gulak, said this in an interview with one of our correspondents, on Friday.

The presidential aide said, “Mr. President is not interested in removing any governor from office. He is a democrat who believes strongly in the liberty of individuals to join any political party of their choice.

“The President has said many times that he is open to peace talks but he will not force anybody to remain in the party.

“If you no longer like the party, you can leave but what we are telling them is that there is nothing outside the party. They can ask those who left before them and had to return.

“If they leave the PDP, there are people who are willing to take over the party structures in their states and build them to formidable levels.

Reacting to the impeachment moves, the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Lai Mohammed, said: “Of course we are not in doubt that the PDP/Presidency will now unleash all its formidable persecuting agencies such as the police, EFCC, ICPC, FCT planning authorities etc, to destabilise these governors.

“The governors of these five states enjoy the confidences of their various legislative houses and as such there is absolutely no fear of impeachment. However, we are convinced that the PDP/Presidency will foment trouble in those states to create chaos and declare state of emergency but I can assure you they won’t succeed.

“Rest assured that any attempt by the PDP/Presidency to thwart or frustrate the fusion will be gallantly resisted by us.”

In the same vein, the spokesperson of the New PDP, Mr. Chukwuemeka Eze, said there was no way the governors could be removed.

Eze said though he heard about the moves by the Tukur-led PDP, to consider the legal option, he expressed optimism that such an attempt would fail.

Eze said, “We have heard that. It won’t work at all, and that is the truth. Don’t forget that the PDP itself had benefitted from other political parties when it threw its doors open to other governors from both the All Nigeria Peoples Party and the Progressive People’s Alliance. So, it is payback time.

“The PDP is now reaping from the fruit it planted. We are now serving them from the food they cooked, and in bigger measure.”

Besides, Eze said that the Supreme Court had settled the issue in the case of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the Federal Government when the former VP left the ruling party to contest the presidential election on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria in 2007.

“So any case the PDP files against these distinguished Nigerians would end up as an academic exercise,” Eze added.