Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly, have debunked claims that the state legislature is plotting to impeach the governor, Chibuike Amaechi.
An Abuja High Court had, on Tuesday, sacked the State Executive Committee led by a loyalist of the governor, Godspower Ake. It declared the Felix Obuah-led executive as duly elected.
The new executive members have since been sworn-in by the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party in Abuja.
At a press conference jointly addressed in Abuja on Friday by members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and some members of the House of Representatives from the state, the lawmakers said there are no plans to impeach the governor.
“I am not aware of any impeachment plan. But what we are saying is that we should be allowed to do our job as the State House of Assembly members,” Inunwo Victor, a state lawmaker, said.
Speaking on behalf of the lawmakers from the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda said that the Obuah-led State Executive Committee was properly elected last year.
He asked those saying Mr. Obuah did not collect nomination form for the election to ask Mr. Ake who he contested against during the 2012 state congress.
He said, “Hon Felix Obuah collected nomination form and passed through all the processes. It is wrong for anybody to try to deceive people that he didn’t collect nomination form and therefore did not contest the congress.
“Amongst several other PDP members, we were delegates at the PDP State Exco primaries of March 2012. We stood with, nominated and voted for Chief Hon Felix Ameachi Obuah at the said election which he indeed emerged as the state party chairman.”
Mr. Chinda said that Asita O. Asita who led other Rivers lawmakers on Wednesday to fault the court judgement that brought in Mr. Obuah did not have the authority to speak for the lawmakers since he (Honourable) is not the leader of Rivers State Caucus in the House of Representatives.
On the ‘Oga and Madam at the top‘ that Mr. Asita made reference to in his briefing, Mr. Chinda said, “The Oga and Madam at the top’ used by Honourable Asita in his press statement in apparent reference to Mr. President and his wife are to say the least awfully scurrilous, derogatory and disrespectful of the office and person of Mr. President and his wife, more so as it is coming from a supposed Honourable Member of the House of Representatives and a very senior Lawyer as he ought to be.”
Also on Friday, the Rivers State PDP Elders Forum, in a separate press conference in Abuja, asked Mr. Amaechi to embrace the new realities in the state branch of the party by accepting its new leadership.
Declaring their support for Mr. Obuah, the elders led by Sergent Awuse, acknowledged that Mr. Ameachi, as the governor of River State on the platform of PDP, is the leader of PDP in Rivers state but should embrace the new realities in the Rivers State PDP.
Mr. Awuse said, “We wish to let all Nigerians know that we do not any “Oga and Madam at the top” referred to by Honourable Asita and his acolytes who could voice such utter nonsense in reaction to a considered High Court Judgment. The political immaturity of Honorable Asita and His acolytes are clearly evident.
“We demand that the PDP government of Rivers State should be impartial and unbiased in handling matters arising from this court judgment as all the parties are of the same party.
“The government of Rivers State owes a duty to the Peoples Democratic Party and the good people of Rivers State that elected it on the platform of the PDP to embrace the court decision and cooperate with the true and authentic Honourable Felix Ameachi led Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State.”
Mr. Amaechi has been having a running battle with the presidency and the PDP National leadership over his stance on national issues. The Rivers Governor recently said he had been advised to “stop talking,” so as not to stoke the anger of President Jonathan, who is already ostracizing him
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