Security Agents Forcibly Takeover Benue State Assembly To Impeach Ortom
Loading ...The Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] has cried foul following an Information Leak revealing that the All Progressive Congress [APC] led by Chief Akume had perfect plans on the removal of the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom. The plans are to be executed today’s [July 30] morning.
Already security forces have begun circling the State assembly premises.
According to the information received, the APC led group from Abuja have given matching orders to security forces to take over the Benue State Assembly compounds – and to forcibly extort the impeached speaker of the State Assembly to resume seating as the Speaker of the State Assembly.
During the seating, as gathered, the impeached speaker would commence the impeachment hearing of the Governor – with the backing of the political headmen in Abuja.
The forced impeachment move is said to be coming following the embarrassment faced by the APC as the Governor of Benue State dumped the APC for the PDP. The APC national chairman Adams Oshiomhole had expressed anger and disappointment over the announcement of the defection. Informed speculation expect for the ruling party to retaliate against the Benue Governor.
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See Statement from the PDP below
STATEMENT FROM PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP), BENUE STATE CHAPTER:
PLOT BY APC TO RESORT TO JACK-BOOT DEMOCRACY BY AN ILLEGAL TAKE-OVER OF BENUE STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY UNCOVERED
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has received credible information of a plot by minority elements of the Benue State House of Assembly loyal to impeached Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Terkimbi Ikyange, to forcibly and illegally take over the House this morning.
The plot, we have been reliably informed, is at the instigation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, under the leadership of Senator representing Benue North-West Senatorial District, George Akume, who is believed to be working in concert with external forces hostile to the state.
The move, if carried out, will be in defiance of a prevailing Makurdi High Court order restraining the impeached Speaker and other impeached principal officers from parading themselves as such pending the determination of the substantive matter brought before it by 22 members of the State Assembly.
The court had also ordered the police who had a few days back occupied the State Assembly complex to vacate the premises.
The information at our disposal further availed that Police authorities in Abuja have already deployed a detachment from Benue and Nasarawa states to enforce the illegality being planned by APC and the detachment, in the course of last night, took over the premises of the Assembly preparatory to the execution of the plot.
Senator Akume is believed to have perfected this plot with a fellow APC leader, in the person of Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Almakura, when he (Akume) visited the governor a few days back.
The objective of this plot, we have been further informed, is to reinstate impeached Speaker, Ikyange, who we also learnt is under brief to commence impeachment proceedings against Gov. Ortom, as soon as he is reinstated, this being a counter-offensive move of Senator Akume in his ongoing feud with the Benue governor.
It is a matter for deep concern that remnants of the APC in Benue, fearing the imminent total collapse of the party, should resort to such nefarious schemes as this evil plot, which if carried out, will represent a most brazen assault on the institution of democracy as well as threaten the fragile peace and security in the state.
We therefore, call on Benue citizens to rise up in total rejection of the option of ‘jack-boot democracy’ which Senator Akume and APC, with the help of the Abuja powers, are desperately seeking to impose on Benue, as monumental defeat at the 2019 elections stare them in the face.
APC must abide by the tenets of the principle of rule of law, particularly now heading into the 2019 elections, this being the only option by which our democratic culture will be nourished and institutions of state further strengthened as was exemplified by PDP in the 2015 election year.
Nigeria and indeed Benue State belong to us all, and must be placed at all times above the narrowed self-serving interests of a few individuals who have wasted countless opportunities given them to provide leadership to the people, and have found themselves now in the pitiable status of pariah.
A Makurdi High Court last week, ruling on an ex parte motion brought before it by 22 members of the Benue State House of Assembly, had restrained impeached Speaker Ikyange from parading himself as Speaker of the House, as such, carrying out the planned heist by the Akume led Benue APC would amount to contempt of court.
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Bemgba Iortyom,
State Publicity Secretary,
PDP, Benue State Chapter.
30th July, 2018.
