Following the impeachment notice served on the Nasarawa State governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura by the state Assembly, the embattled state chief executive hurriedly left Lafia, the state capital yesterday for Abuja in an effort to prevail on President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene in the matter.
LEADERSHIP reports that, Al-Makura before leaving the state capital at about 4p.m. had held series of meetings with his aides and party officials intent upon seeing how the impeachment impasse can be surmounted.
Addressing the press at Shendam Road Assembly complex however, the clerk of the Assembly, Mr. Ego Maikeffi, disclosed that after several attempts to serve the impeachment notice on the governor, he was denied access into the Government House.
Ego stated further that in line with the directive of the Speaker, he is set to serve the notice through the media today.
The House Committee chairman on information and security, Hon. Mohammed Baba Ibaku, confirmed the development saying other options of serving the notice would be explored.
In a swift reaction however, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Public Affairs, Hon. Abdulhamid Kwarra, denied the report insisting that the Assembly was yet to serve the notice as a 6pm yesterday.
Speaking on the unfolding scenario, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mr. Mark Neto said the state Assembly would be doing a disservice to the state if they had a catalogue of such gross misconduct and refused to take action.
Mr. Neto who noted that the PDP hierarchy in the state would have preferred the party to slug it out with Al-Makura at the poll but regretted however that “posterity would not be fair to the members if they gloss over such grievous misconduct”. He denied that the PDP embarked upon impeachment because it was afraid to face Al-Makura at the polls.
The immediate past state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Stanley Buba, on his part called on Governor Al-Makura to address the allegations levelled against him promptly, saying that the Assembly was only discharging its constitutional duty.
LEADERSHIP reports that before Al-Makura left for Abuja, notable traditional rulers in the state had converged at the guest house of the Emir of Lafia, Alhaji Isa Mustapha Agwai l, with a view to seeking their intervention on the matter.
Informed sources also disclosed that a high-powered delegation of traditional rulers and other respected stakeholders in the state were expected to join Al-Makura in Abuja today so as to solicit President Jonathan’s intervention.
Source: Leadership
