Saturday, July 19, 2014

SINGING THAT OLD SWAN SONG : Presidency, PDP behind plot to remove me – Al-Makura ... DailyNewsWatch


Both the Presidency and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, came under criticism, following the impeachment of Murtala Nyako as governor of Adamawa State, and the threat of removal on his Nasarawa State counterpart, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura.
Al-Makura’s camp believes the Presidency and the PDP are behind the alleged plot to impeach the governor by the State House of Assembly.
Al-Makura’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Mr. Abdulhamid Yakubu Kwarra, alleged yesterday while speaking with journalists in Jos, that the Presidency has embarked on a witch-hunt to weaken the strongholds of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of next year’s general elections.
He said the governor has not been served the alleged impeachment notice sequel to the resolution of the House of Assembly last Monday, which directed its Clerk to serve the governor the notice within 24 hours.
Kwarra, a former Majority Leader of the State House of Assembly, said the governor has cautioned groups protesting against the impeachment threat to be civil and peaceful, adding that government will not tolerate any form of violence.
He stressed that the relationship between the Executive and the Legislature in the state has been cordial, despite the current event, which he said was the ninth attempt by the House of Assembly to impeach Al-Makura since he assumed office as governor.
Kwarra blamed the feud between the Executive and the Legislature on internal and external interests, saying the unfolding events are not unconnected with the 2015 ambitions of some persons, which are being amplified by the PDP.
Said Kwarra: “It is public knowledge that an impeachment notice has been issued, but we are yet to receive it. We know what is responsible for this. It is a combination of factors, one of which is the Abuja factor, and it is about the 2015 elections.
“The authorities in Abuja want it by all means and at all costs. They are threatened by the formidable opposition party in the country. That’s why they are doing everything to retain power despite the fact that they are a collateral failure with all the challenges; and part of their master plan is to distabilise states controlled by the APC. The Jonathan administration is behind all these.”
Besides pointing fingers at the Presidency, Kwarra also alleged sabotage at the home front.
According to him, “when you come to the state, we also have conflict of interests on politics and governance between the Executive and the Legislature on who gets what first. There are some people who have other interests such as the defected deputy governor.
“There are personal interests too; people who are not in government, but sometimes benefit from the government. Yes, we have them in Nigerian politics.”
Speaking on the inability by the Clerk of the House to serve the governor the impeachment notice, Kwarra said the Clerk knows how to get to the governor, explaining that the security personnel cannot prevent him from seeing the governor.
He lamented the manner the PDP is going about the 2015 general elections, saying it amounts to a threat to the country’s nascent democracy.
Meanwhile, a lawmaker in Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Othman Bala, has appealed to his colleagues not to impeach Governor Al-Makura, in the interest of the state.
Bala (APC, Keffi-East) said in Lafia yesterday that lawmakers should put the interest of the state above other considerations.
“The lawmakers love the state and will do all within their powers to ensure peace and development of the state. It is on the basis of that love that I appeal to my colleagues to sheath their swords in order to move the state forward.
“No one is perfect; we should forgive some of the lapses noticed with the governor in the belief that he will learn from it in the overall interest of the state,” Bala said.
He emphasised the need for the members to make sacrifices, saying, “there should be no winner or loser under the circumstance but that the interest of the state should be paramount.”
The Assembly, on Monday, had resolved to serve an impeachment notice on the governor for alleged gross misconduct.
The news of the impeachment notice, however, led to protests across the state.

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