There appears to be no end in sight to the recent political crisis in Kogi State. As the people of the state are trying to manage the wrangling over the sudden death of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Abubakar Audu and the confusion that followed, all is not well in the House of Assembly.
There is a raging battle over the speaker’s seat, following the alleged impeachment of Hon Jimoh Momoh Lawal by 17 members in a controversial circumstance.
The House had reconvened for legislative business that fateful Thursday, December 10, 2015. It was gathered that everything was going on normally until the member representing Idah constituency, Ukubile Ochijenu moved a motion for impeachment.
Ochijenu said that 17 out of 25 members of the House had unanimously appended their signatures to remove the speaker from office on grounds of incompetence, saying he could not provide adequate leadership.
While he was reading out the names of those who purportedly signed the document for the removal of the speaker, pandemonium broke out. Some suspected thugs forced their way into the chamber to stop him.
In the ensuing confusion, the lawmakers loyal to the embattled speaker managed to remove the mace, which they kept in a ‘safe location.’ Following the pandemonium, legislative business for the day was abruptly brought to an end.
As the speaker tried to leave the Assembly complex, a fight broke out between his loyalists and those against him.
Some journalists covering the Assembly were not spared as their iPads and other gadgets were smashed.
A correspondent of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), who had earlier recorded the proceedings, was trailed by some thugs and his camera seized.
Similarly, a correspondent of Radio Nigeria Prime FM 101.5, Lokoja, had his phone seized and smashed by the angry thugs who invaded the Assembly complex.
It took the intervention of the security personnel manning the complex and a detachment of anti-riot policemen dispatched to the area to bring the situation under control.
Despite the violence, the aggrieved lawmakers went ahead to impeach the speaker, his deputy, Aliyu Akuh and the minority leader, Hassan Bello.
The lawmakers spearheading the impeachment later converged on the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Lokoja, where they briefed the press on the development at the House. They announced the names of principal officers who would replace those that were allegedly impeached. They named Godwin Osiyi Ojo, representing Ogori/Magongo constituency, as the new speaker, John Abah from Ibaji constituency, as the new deputy speaker, while Linus Eneche from Olamaboro constituency was named the new minority leader.
Addressing journalists after the House was abruptly brought to a close, the aggrieved lawmakers, led by their new speaker, Osiyi Godwin and deputy speaker, John Abah, maintained that the impeachment of the speaker was long overdue.
They said the embattled speaker had displayed ‘cluelessness and greed’ in handling the affairs of the House.
The aggrieved lawmakers further said the impeachment of the speaker had nothing to do with the current political situation in the state, insisting that it was done in the best interest of the House.
But the embattled speaker, Momoh Lawal Jimoh, maintained that he and the other principal officers were never impeached as claimed by his opponents.
He described what transpired in the House as an "ill-motivated attempt to hijack the leadership of the Kogi State House of Assembly by few members," which he said was at variance with legislative practices and principles.
"It is important to let the public know that though Hon. Okubile Acharu Ochijenu of Idah constituency attempted to move an impeachment motion with an acclaimed 17 members’ signatures, the plan failed when many of those said to have signed the motion declined," he said.
He urged members of the public to disregard the impeachment story, saying the move was aborted by patriotic members of the House who believe in the corporate existence of the state rather than parochial interests.
Jimoh called on the aggrieved members to sheathe their swords and join hands with him to move the House forward, adding that there is no need to heighten the already charged political atmosphere. He noted that power comes from God.
The chief whip of the House, Friday Makama, said the purported impeachment did not follow the laid down rules of the House, pointing out that the signatures collected for the said impeachment were never tabled to the clerk for verification.
He alleged that some of the signatories on the impeachment document were forged, adding that one of the members, Ahmed Umar Imam (Lokoja constituency), whose name appeared as signatory, denied signing the document.
Umar claimed that his signature was forged, saying he remained loyal to the Momoh Jimoh Lawal-led leadership.
Speaking further on the development, the chief whip maintained that the alleged impeachment was unconstitutional, null and void, insisting that Jimoh remained the speaker.
"What looks like impeachment is as inconclusive as INEC’s election in Kogi. In fact, we are even aware that because it was an inconclusive impeachment, they went to a primary school to sit. And what is the authority that will give them the opportunity to seat?
"We are just coming from the House, and the speaker is still in office. He presided over the executive session we had few minutes ago. As I speak to you, the speaker is in charge of all the paraphernalia of the House,’’ he said.
The chief whip insisted that the other faction of the lawmakers had no evidence to show that they impeached the embattled speaker, adding, "You cannot impeach the speaker from the window. It must be a process that is generally accepted by the members of the Kogi State House of Assembly."
According to Makama, the impeachment move was aimed at creating division in the House ahead of the new government scheduled for inauguration on January 27, 2016.
"It is their belief that the incumbent governor is gone, even though he still has a month to spend in office. The move is intended to create a faction for the new governor. The new governor is also a reasonable young man who will not want to take over the state amidst rancor," he said.
With the look of things, the House may be heading for more turbulence in the days ahead as the two factions appear to be at daggers drawn.
While the embattled speaker and his faction had adjourned sitting to February 2, 2016, the other faction of the House headed by Godwin Osiyi Ojo adjourned theirs to December 16, 2015.
Meanwhile, there was a twist in the impasse as three members of the House who participated in the purported impeachment lost their cases at the Court of Appeal, Abuja.
The members include Moses Idakwo (Dekina 1 constituency), Ukwubile Ochijenu (Idah constituency) who moved the impeachment motion, and Abdulmumuni Ibrahim (Ankpa 1 constituency).
By the ruling, the three members have lost their seats pending a rerun election in 90 days as ordered by the court.
The ruling has further depleted the number of lawmakers that spearheaded the alleged removal of the speaker.
Daily Trust gathered that people had continued to wonder why the lawmakers are embarking on impeachment move at the twilight of the Capt. Idris Ichalla Wada administration.
Initially, when the news of the impeachment filtered out, many had thought that it was in connection with the evolving political development in the state, but a careful analysis of what transpired showed it might not be totally correct.
First, the embattled speaker, Momoh Jimoh Lawal, hails from Okene in the central district, the same place where the incoming governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello hails from. Hence, the permutation that the move was to clear him (speaker) off the way to ensure balance.
But that argument might not be correct because the member, who was chosen as the new speaker – Godwin Osiyi Ojo – hails from Ogorimagongo, which also falls within the central senatorial district, same zone where the impeached speaker and the incoming governor hail from.
It was learnt from impeccable sources that the real reasons for the impeachment of the speaker was due to his inability to influence the executive arm of government to pay the members some of their allowances and other financial entitlements.
The aggrieved lawmakers felt the embattled speaker was only concerned about himself and few others, thus sidelining their collective interest.
Sources said the lawmakers had, in the past, pressurized the governor for their allowances, but due to the precarious financial situation in the state, little or nothing came to them.
But matters came to a head after the lawmakers reportedly had audience with Governor Wada, who had appealed for understanding given the present financial challenge facing the state.
Not satisfied with the outcome of their meeting with the executive arm of government, the aggrieved lawmakers reportedly went on to perfect their impeachment move.
It is believed that with the impeachment move, the aggrieved lawmakers would reposition themselves to push for their entitlements from the outgoing and the incoming government.
