The Nasarawa State House of Assembly failed to impeach the Governor, Tanko Al-Makura, creating room for speculations on its next move, writes Senior Correspondent, ISHAYA IBRAHIM
Umaru Al-Makura
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State may have learnt a few lessons from the impeachment of one of their own, Murtala Nyako, who was impeached by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-dominated House of Assembly on July 15.
Nyako is of the All Progressives Congress (APC) stock, a party that was neck-to-neck with the PDP in size and influence in November last year when five governors of the ruling PDP defected to the opposition. The governors included Nyako, Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Abdufatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano).
Adamawa has now been returned to the PDP with the impeachment of Nyako, though he committed the infractions five years ago.
An APC presidential hopeful, Sam Nda-Isaiah, reacting to the impeachment, said: “Nyako was impeached because he is now in the APC. And, of course, all the governors that have been shortlisted for impeachment are all in the APC. But let’s wait and see,” he told TheNiche on July 17, shortly after the Adamawa governor was impeached.
APC juggernauts, apparently jolted by the sack of Nyako, seemed to have worked out plans to forestall further depletion in their ranks.
It seems to have begun when on July 24, the Hose of Assembly members directed the Nasarawa Chief Judge, Justice Sulaiman Dikko, to constitute a panel of seven persons to probe a plethora of impeachable allegations against the governor in line with the provisions of section 188 of the 1999 Constitution.
Section 188 (5), provides that: “Within seven days of the passing of a motion under the foregoing provisions of this section, the Chief Judge of the State shall, at the request of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, appoint a panel of seven persons who in his opinion are of unquestionable integrity, not being members of any public service, legislative House or political party, to investigate the allegation as provided in this section.”
The appointment of the panel of seven is at the discretion of the Chief Judge. Lawyers added that he determines who he deems to be ‘persons of unquestionable integrity’ to be in the panel.
But when the Chief Judge named the members of the panel, the House of Assembly rejected it and directed that Dikko should dissolve it and constitute another one.
“We had an emergency sitting to deliberate on the seven-man panel that was set up by the state Chief Judge, Justice Umaru Suleiman Dikko, on Friday, last week. We asked him to dissolve the seven-man panel because the members of the panel are APC members that hold various political positions in the state,” the Chairman, Information and Security Committee of the House of Assembly, Baba Ibaku, said, but failed to present any proof.
The Chief Judge, however, ignored the House of Assembly and swiftly swore in the seven-man panel. The panel, on August 5, dismissed the 16 allegations against the governor for want of evidence.
But the lawmakers and the Nasarawa chapter of the PDP rejected the panel’s verdict and vowed that they would proceed with the impeachment of the governor.
“We want to bring to the notice of Nigerians that the Nasarawa State House of Assembly totally dissociates itself from the decision reached by the panel set up by the Chief Judge of the state, which has cleared the governor of allegations levelled against him by the House.
“As far as we are concerned, the governor is yet to be exonerated of charges levelled against him. We are not going to court because the matter is a constitutional matter that cannot be resolved by any court. We will take a firm position on the matter in due course, but we will follow the constitution,” Ibaku said.
For Kaduna-based lawyer, Abdulazeez Ibrahim, the lawmakers have been boxed into an impossible corner.
“Don’t forget that Al-Makura’s lawyers have filed an action challenging the service of the impeachment notice to the governor. While in court, they will ask for interlocutory injunction pending the determination of the substantive suit.”
With the failed impeachment of Al-Makura, the battle for the soul of Nasarawa has now shifted to the streets of Lafia, the state capital. On August 7, supporters of the PDP embarked on what they described as solidarity protest with the House of Assembly members.
The march was led by stalwarts of the PDP, including the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku; the former governor of Nasarawa, Aliyu Doma; and a chieftain of the party, Senator Solomon Ewuga. The three men are believed to be eyeing the governorship of the state.
Shortly after the PDP rally, supporters of the APC, the governor’s party, also staged theirs. The state publicity secretary of the APC, Wuduyamba Sam Agidi, told newsmen that the rally was to sweep away the ‘Ebola virus’ brought into the town by the PDP.
Even as the governor seemed to have survived this impeachment, what is the next hoax expected from the Nasarawa government antagonists’ box of tricks? But one thing is sure: a hard political battle awaits him in 2015 when he will be seeking a second term.