Governor Ortom:Faults Impeachment Move
The gale of impeachment in the country continued Monday morning when seven All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers in Benue State converged under the protection of the Nigeria police and served impeachment notice on Governor Samuel Ortom.
The seven members of the State House of Assembly took over the Assembly complex to sit and pass the impeachment notice while the police blocked further access.
The lawmakers based their move on allegations of diversion of state funds and abuse of office against the Governor.
In a swift reaction, Governor Samuel Ortom has said the purported impeachment is null and void stressing that the seven APC members does not form a quorum.
“They have not been able to form a quorum, so it is not possible,” said his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akasa. ” Only eight people served the governor the notice, even at that, two other members who were part of the kangaroo sitting were on the side of the governor, so how can anybody call that an impeachment notice. It’s laughable and must be ignored completely.
“And for the record, there is a court injunction restricting the impeached Speaker from parading himself as the Speaker of the House and that court injunction has not been vacated.
“He has been suspended for 6 months, he doesn’t have any constitutional right to go back to that Assembly. He has done nothing to vacate that injunction so whatever he did stands null and void.
“Ortom is still the Chief Executive of the State. You can’t just impeach a Governor in a flash. You have to go through all the legal and constitutional processes”.
The lawmakers, Adanyi Benjamin, Terhemba Chabo, Benjamin Nungwa, Bem Mngutyo, Adams Okloho, James Okefe and Nick Eworo were among members that moved for the governor’s impeachment.
The plot was coordinated by Terkimbi Ikyange who was removed as speaker of the Assembly last week.
Meanwhile the PDP faction of the state assembly has announced the suspension of the seven APC lawmakers for six months.
The suspended lawmakers include Adanyi Benjamin, Terhemba Chabo, Benjamin Nungwa, Bem Mngutyo, Adams Okloho, James Okefe and Nick Eworo.
The suspension motion was moved by the majority leader of the house Rt. Hon. Hon Avine Agbom and seconded by Hon. Ianna Jato.