Members- elect of the yet- to- be inaugurated Edo House of Assembly have disowned a purported impeachment notice on Governor Godwin Obaseki.
They stated the notice currently circulating did not emanate from them.
In a statement by the 14 members in Abuja, the lawmakers said the document is fake and a calculated attempt to smear their names for standing on the path of truth.
They claimed their disagreement about the inauguration of the Assembly was for the proper thing to be done, adding they were ready to work with any Speaker that would emerge from a transparent process.
The statement reads: “We the elected members of Edo state House of Assembly, EDHA, that have been away from our state, as a result of the harassment and intimidation we faced for rejecting impunity and standing for the truth, hereby wish to inform the people of Edo state and the general public that, the impeachment notice on the governor of Edo state, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, currently being circulated on social media, is not from us.
“The document is fake, treacherous, insipid and a calculated attempt to smear our names for standing on the path of truth.
“In the first place, members of the public would have noticed that, two of the names mentioned in the fake document, Hon Nosayaba Okunbur and Chief Sunday Ojiezele are with the governor in Benin.
“In fact Hon Nosayaba Okunbor has done a public disclaimer to that effect. It is also clear that, members-elect cannot impeach a governor, the most questionable aspect of the document, is the fact that, it was typed on an All Progressives Congress, APC, letterhead, but the cheap criminal/s cleverly made the heading invisible.
“Again, we want to make it abundantly clear that, our condemnation of the nocturnal kangaroo inauguration that was carried out in Edo state House of Assembly, that all lovers of democracy, the world over has also joined us to condemn, is due to the fact that, we only want the proper, and right thing done; and any Speaker that eventually emerge from a transparent inauguration, will work harmoniously with the governor of the state.
“We are not surprised at the appearance of a fake document on social media, as those behind the nocturnal, shameful and kangaroo inauguration, are capable of doing anything to give us a bad name so as to whip up public sentiment to support their infamous actions.”
Tag: impeachment
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Edo lawmakers-elect deny knowledge of impeachment notice on Gov Obaseki
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Breaking: Official files motion to impeach president
Top official of Somali’s parliament administration said on Sunday he had filed a motion with the speaker of parliament to impeach the country’s president, Mohamed Abdullahi, but the grounds for the move were unclear.
“We have filed an impeachment against the president of the federal republic of Somalia,” Abdikarim H. Abdi Buh said in a statement.
Constitutionally, 92 lawmakers have to sign a motion for it to be submitted to the speaker. Parliament may debate the motion a week later.
Somalia’s parliament has 275 lawmakers in total. A successful impeachment vote requires the backing of two thirds of all MPs.
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NEMA funds: Reps react to alleged impeachment plots against Osinbajo
TheHouse of Representatives has denied having plans to instituteimpeachment processes against Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, was said to have summoned the member representing Egor/Ikpoba-Okha Federal Constituency, Edo State, Mr Johnson Agbonayinma, who alleged that some members were collating signatures with the aim of impeaching Osinbajo.
Agbonayinma made the allegation while addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.
Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone shortly after, Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Abdulrazak Namdas, dismissed the claim.
Namdas said, “There is nothing like impeachment before the House of Representatives as I speak now. As far as I am concerned, I speak for the House, and there is nothing like impeachment before the House for consideration. I don’t speak for members, I speak for the House. But if there is anything, I don’t know.
“At least, officially before the House, there is nothing like that.”
Asked to speak as a member of the All Progressives Congress, Namdas said, “I am not aware (of the impeachment plot).
Agbonayinma made the allegation in a written speech entitled, ‘Call for Caution on the Purported Campaign to Smear the Office of the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by Disgruntled Politicians and Some Media Houses.’
He said, “It has become necessary for me to add my voice to the call by many Nigerians on the purported campaigns of calumny by some political gladiators and media houses against the office and person of the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), on spurious allegations of corrupt practices levelled against him.
“(I am) Aware that signatures are being collated for the impeachment of the Vice-President. The reason is because of the outcome of the NEMA investigation.
“For the records, the issues raised in the probe on NEMA had to do with (alleged) misappropriation of funds by the director-general and the day-to-day running of the agency vis-a-vis financial spending, procurement processes, among others.”
Agbonayinma however failed to name those behind the campaign against Osinbajo when asked by journalists to do so.
“Don’t forget that I am a member of the APC. I am a Nigerian. Not everybody has the boldness and audacity to come out, not everybody. You have watched me on the floor of the House, I don’t play partisan politics. I supported the APC when I was in the PDP. Now I’m in the APC, I do support the PDP,” he said.
Agbonayinma was also asked why he raised the alarm when the APC, which is the ruling party, has the majority in the House and the Senate, making an impeachment of the president or VP impossible.
He said some APC lawmakers were not happy as the party failed to give them tickets for the 2019 general elections.
The House had probed into the activities of the National Emergency Management Agency in the North-East, during which it indicted Osinbajo being the Chairman of the Governing Board of NEMA and for approving funds to the agency as Acting President. The director-general of the agency also indicted.
The VP however denied breaching the law in all his activities regarding NEMA.
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APC speaks on sponsoring ‘impeachment’ plans against Gov Emmanuel
The All Progressive Congress (APC) says it has no plan whatsoever to impeach Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom as being speculated in some quarters.
Mr Ime Okopido, the state APC Chairman stated this while speaking with newsmen in Uyo on Thursday, while reacting to the crisis in the state House of Assembly.
Okopido said that the APC and its lawmakers would not waste precious time to institute a process of impeachment on the governor, who has about three months to leave office.
He described the statement credited to the state PDP Chairman, Mr Paul Ekpo, on Nov. 27, alleging that the APC lawmakers met to impeach the governor as faulty and misleading.
“Let me state categorically clear that we in APC have never discussed plans to impeach the governor, and indeed, we are not interested in moving for his impeachment.
“Rather, we are eagerly waiting for March 2, 2019, when Akwa Ibom people will vote out this incompetent and clueless governor.
“We have just three months to go, so there is no need to waste time on impeachment,” Okopido said.
The chairman said that the party or its lawmakers have no hand in the current crisis in the House of Assembly.
According to him, the illegality of declaring seats of five APC members of the House vacant, in spite of subsisting court action, is the immediate cause of the crisis.
Okopido expressed displeasure over the way and manner the PDP and its agents were insulting APC Chieftains in the state and called for a stop.
He wondered why the PDP is calling for redeployment of the state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Musa Kimo, who is barely one week in office and expressed the party’s confidence on him.
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JUST IN: APGA suspends lawmaker who spearheaded speaker’s impeachment
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has suspended the factional Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Ikem Uzoezie, for alleged anti-party activities.
Others also suspended were Messrs Hartford Oseke and Victor Okoye.
The State Chairman of the party, Chief Norbert Obi, stated this at a press conference at the party’s secretariat in Awka on Thursday.
Obi said that after reviewing the circumstances surrounding the impeachment of the Speaker of the House, Rita Maduagwu on Tuesday, it had become expedient to suspend the key player in the saga “to save the party from self-destruction.”
Uzoezie had led 19 other members of the House on Tuesday to impeach Maduagwu and assumed the speakership of the House.
But the APGA state chairman of the party, at the press conference, said “the party would not condone such internal wrangling.”
His statement read in part: “Recall that on Tuesday, 13th November 2018, some Honorable members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in the Anambra State House of Assembly, during their plenary session, attempted to impeach the Hon Speaker of
the House, Rt Hon Barr Rita Maduagwu, following a motion moved by the Hon member representing Agutata II Constituency, Hon. Ikem Uzoezie, which was seconded by the Hon member representing Ekwusigo Constituency, Hon. Onyebuchi Offor.“It is the position of the party in Anambra State that the attempted impeachment was not necessary.
“Granted the fact that we had problems during the just-concluded party primaries in the state, this is not enough to pull the party down, more so when the party has inaugurated a reconciliation committee to look into the grievances of the aggrieved aspirants and members of the party.
“Every right thinking Igbo man knows that APGA is not only a party but a movement for the actualization of Igbo agenda in the Nigerian polity. It will amount to shooting oneself in the leg for any Igbo man to pursue the destruction of APGA.”
The state chairman enjoined aggrieved members of the party to sheathe their swords, adding that failure to do so would amount to “setting our house on fire because of a rat.”
He added, “It is therefore the wish of the party that all members of APGA behind this unfortunate plot should retrace their steps in the interest of the party.
“We assure them that whatever is their grievances, they should be addressed to the satisfaction of all since this is a family affair.
“Be that as it may, the three ring leaders of the attempted impeachment saga, namely, Hon Ikem Uzoezie, Barr Hartford Oseke and Hon Victor Okoye are hereby suspended from the party pending the time they will appear before the disciplinary committee of the party for further action.”
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Anambra Assembly impeaches Speaker
The Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Rita Maduagwu, has been impeached.
She was impeached by 22 out of 30 members of the state assembly on Tuesday during plenary at the Assembly chamber in Awka, the state capital.
The former speaker was impeached on the grounds of alleged incompetence, docility, financial impropriety and high-handedness.
The motion was moved by Ikem Uzoezie who represents Aguata II Constituency and was seconded by Onyebuchi Offor from Ekwusigo Constituency.
Uzoezie was consequently elected as the new speaker.
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Breaking: Edo State House of Assembly Deputy Speaker impeached
Amidst heavy shooting, Edo State House of Assembly Deputy Speaker, Victor Edoror, has been impeached.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Edoror, representing Esan Central Constituency at the Edo State House of Assembly was impeached over corruption allegations.
He was replaced with former Speaker of the House, Justin Okonoboh, who was impeached as Speaker of the House in August 2017.
The impeachment notice was signed by 16 members, out of the 24 lawmakers in the House.
Following the impeachment of the Deputy Speaker, the House made a similar move to replace the Speaker, Kabiru Adjoto, before suspected thugs invaded the Assembly complex.
TNG reports fighting erupted after the thugs invaded the Assembly complex, chasing away some lawmakers, and shooting sporadically in the air.
As at the time of filing this report, three persons have been injured in the brawl, and two lawmakers of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), M. D. Igbas and Hon Iluobe were seen running for their lives with their security personnel.
More details to follow…
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Breaking: Unknown gunmen invade Edo State House of Assembly
Some unknown gunmen have invaded the Edo State House of Assembly following moves to impeach the Speaker of the House, Hon Kabiru Adjoto.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports fighting erupted at the Edo State House of Assembly after the gunmen suspected to be political loyal thugs invaded the Assembly complex, chasing away some lawmakers, and shooting sporadically in the air.
As at the time of filing this report, three persons have been injured in the brawl, and two lawmakers of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), M. D. Igbas and Hon Iluobe were seen running for their lives with their security personnel.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Victor Edoror have been impeached and replaced with former speaker, Justine Okonoboh, before moves to impeach the Speaker were initiated.
Edoror, representing Esan central constituency at the Edo state house of Assembly was impeached over corruption allegations.
A source revealed to TNG that the House moved to impeach Adjoto for taking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to court over the alleged substitution of his name with that of his opponent, Hon. Peter Ohio Akpatason, in the House of Representatives primary election.
Details shortly…
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Defections: Why we suspended impeachment moves against Saraki, Ekweremadu – Senate Leader
The Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, on Friday gave indication that peace has returned to the National Assembly and no need to impeach Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
Prior to the reconvening of the National Assembly on Tuesday, Lawan had declared at the All Progressives Congress (APC) Convention at the Eagle Square on Saturday night that APC will not allow leadership of the National Assembly run away with its mandate.
While the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has been of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the Senate President, Bukola Saraki had recently defected from the APC to the PDP.
But speaking on the crisis with State House correspondents on Friday at the Presidential Villa, Lawan said “I don’t know what informed your view to anticipate crisis but let me tell you that NASS will continue to remain focus on national issues, we must be patriotic, nationalistic, we must put national interest above individual, parochial or partisan interest.
“We definitely have to bury our hatchets for us to work for Nigeria and Nigerians perhaps that might have informed the disappointment of many people that there will be crisis in the National Assembly.
“Let me also say that disagreements are usual, in fact they are very practical components of any parliament, when you have 2 to 3 parties or even within parties you will have views that may differ.
“It is traditional, it is usual for us to disagree maybe this disagreements may crop up and some other issues but for now our focus is on national interest.” he said
Asked if the idea of impeachment has been dropped, he said “The National Assembly is a Nigerian parliament and therefore the best thing to do is to ensure that Nigerians gets a good deal and for now the good deal is for Nigeria to have all those pending request of Mr President approved by the National Assembly.
“I think the national interest for now override any other interest.” he said
Speaking further on the resumption day, he said “Well you could see from day one, day one Tuesday was not an eventful day because the National Assembly lost a member, a member from Kwara. So traditionally, we normally don’t work on such a day when the death will be officially announced.
“But Wednesday and Thursday witnessed the focus and concentration of members of the National Assembly on the request of Mr President for the funding of INEC for elections to be conducted in 2019 and we passed in the Senate and the House did also.
“We passed the request of Mr President for N189 billion for INEC activities for 2019.On Thursday the committee on appropriation invited the head of the security agencies to come and defend the request that Mr President made on their behalf for funding of their supervisory and oversight roles during the elections in 2019.
“We also had the referral of the request of Mr President approval for foreign loan component of the 2018 appropriation and that is about 2.78 billion dollars eurobond. We have gone full blast consciously, purposely to ensure that Mr President gets what’s he request, we lost time because some of the issues were requested for before we went on our recess.
“But we have also in the Senate passed confirmations of the CBN deputy governor, ICPC governing body and we are determined to continue to do this throughout this period.
“Our intention is to ensure that Mr President doesn’t lack from inactivity of the NASS that whatever he requests, the fundamentals aspects especially will be attended to, this is our determination both as APC senators infact as senate and National Assembly.” he added -
Saraki will be impeached at the slightest opportunity – Omo-Agege
Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District on the floor of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege has said embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki will be humiliated out of office if he (Saraki) refuses to bow out honourably.
Omo-Agege, a prominent member of the Parliamentary Support Group, a body of the All Progressives Congress (APC) members in the National Assembly loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari also insisted that the APC Caucus will soon reconvene the national assembly in the interest of the country.
The outspoken lawmaker also pointed out that the APC caucus was also against the alleged proposal for a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives whenever Saraki and Dogara reconvene the National Assembly.
The lawmaker insisted that Saraki must not remain Senate President after his defection from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Recall that the APC senators had met with the National Chairman of the ruling party, Adams Oshiomhole, during the week on the matter.
Omo-Agege said, “We have the information that they want to reconvene a joint session and that is completely unacceptable to us. Of course, we won’t accept it. The Senate itself has to be reconvened for this purpose. The reason (for postponing the planned recall on Tuesday) is that he knows that we have the numbers now – and indeed we have the numbers now – to remove him. Any opportunity that we have right now, we will get rid of him.
“They have no choice, they have to (reconvene). They are just postponing the evil day. The credibility of the 2019 elections is at stake and it would be a jeopardy if because of Saraki’s selfish interests he refuses to reconvene the Senate towards approving this budget. Saraki must understand that the national interest ought to supersede his personal and selfish interest. He cannot tie down the fate of the entire country just because he wants to hang on a position that we are determined to remove him from.
“We as a caucus are very resolute to remove him and at the slightest opportunity he gives to us, he is gone. We have said that he ought to do the honourable thing, the right thing by stepping down, otherwise he would be humiliated. We have the numbers and we are going to remove him.”
Meanwhile, Saraki, in his response through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, dismissed the humiliation threat, alleging that those calling for his resignation and impeachment were the threats to Nigeria’s democracy.
He said, “We maintain our position that these are dwellers in the gutter and we won’t allow them to drag us into it. No, we won’t allow them to drag us into the gutter. There are some of them who actually should be in jail now because of their conducts. It is because they have state protection that they are not in jail.’’