The Rivers state House of Assembly on Tuesday alleged there were plans to impeach the Speaker, Otelemaba Amachree, and the state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, using only five members of the Assembly.
In a statement issued by Amachree in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, he accused some politicians in Abuja of engineering the plot.
It reads: “The leadership and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly wish to bring to the notice of the people of Rivers State and Nigerians some of the dangerous moves by the Felix Obuah-led PDP to cause general chaos and confusion in Rivers State,” the Speaker alleged.
“We have been reliably informed that a fake mace has been smuggled into the state to enable five members of the House hold an emergency session even when the House adjourned sine die on Tuesday, April 23, 2013.
“The Abuja plan on ground is to falsely impeach the Speaker and Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and create confusion through varied responses, which they hope will make the state ungovernable and provide them with some kind of warped basis to introduce emergency rule in Rivers State.
“Furthermore, there are strong indications that some persons have been detailed exclusively to create systemic collapse of security in the state, putting lives and property in danger.
“This is undemocratic, unacceptable and a complete violation of the mandate that the good people of Rivers State have vested on us.”
He called on the people of Rivers to “remain calm, watchful and law abiding as the scenario unfolds.”
Meanwhile, outside the state, Amaechi has more battles to fights as some forces are scheming to prevent him from recontesting the chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).
The move is being spearheaded by those in the camp of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“The President’s loyalists want to ensure the Governor does not contest the NGF election, since they don’t want the President to be messed up.”
“From all indications, the President’s choice for the chairmanship of NGF doesn’t appear to have the support of his colleagues, even after Tony Anenih’s visit to the states.
“That is why they made up their mind that the best way to stop Amaechi would be to impeach him.” the source said.
Reports of an impeachment plot became rife on Monday, when the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by court-installed Felix Obuah state committee announced the suspension of 27 members of the state House of Assembly, including the Speaker, Otelemaba Dan-Amachree.
The party also gave Amaechi a 48-hour ultimatum to explain the ownership of a state-owned aircraft by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) last Saturday or face sanctions.
On Tuesday, the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who were suspended by a faction of the state PDP on Monday secured an interim injunction from a High Court in Port Harcourt restraining the party from carrying out the suspension.
The court order was dated Monday April 29, the same day the lawmakers were suspended.
The PDP Majority Leader of the Assembly, Chidi Julius Lloyd, who is among the suspended 27 lawmakers, approached the court through his counsel Emenike Ebette., with an affidavit requesting for an interim injunction restraining the Obuah-led executive from effecting the suspension.
Lloyd’s action follows a 48-hour ultimatum given to the lawmakers by the Obuah-led executive to reinstate Chairman of the Obio Akpor Local Government, Timothy Nsirim, the Vice Chairman, Solomon Eke, and all the 17 councillors suspended by the lawmakers on April 22, or face disciplinary action by the party.
Obio/Akpor local government area is the home town of Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, who is believed to be leading Anti-Amaechi group.
The interim injunction granted by Justice Sika Henry Aprioku also restrained the PDP, Felix Obuah, state Chairman, and Ibibia Opuene O’Walters, state Secretary, from declaring their seats vacant and from applying to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections to replace them, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit which comes up on May 6.
Justice Aprioku, in the suit No. PHC/901/2013, also granted leave to the 27 lawmakers to serve the 1st defendant (PDP) at Wadata Plaza, Plot 1970, Wuse, Zone 5, Abuja, “outside the jurisdiction of the court” or by substituted means by pasting the writ of summons or other processes at the PDP national headquarters at Wadata Plaza in Abuja.
The Rivers State High Court also granted the prayers of the 27 lawmakers to serve Obuah and Opuene, 2nd and 3rd defendants, by substituted means by pasting the writ of summons at the PDP state secretariat, at No. 23, Aba Road, Port Harcourt.
Justice Aprioku again asked the embattled legislators to publish the order of the court “in one edition of The Guardian newspaper and one edition of ‘Independent Monitor’, a local tabloid that is widely circulated, in Rivers State”.
It reads: “The leadership and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly wish to bring to the notice of the people of Rivers State and Nigerians some of the dangerous moves by the Felix Obuah-led PDP to cause general chaos and confusion in Rivers State,” the Speaker alleged.
“We have been reliably informed that a fake mace has been smuggled into the state to enable five members of the House hold an emergency session even when the House adjourned sine die on Tuesday, April 23, 2013.
“The Abuja plan on ground is to falsely impeach the Speaker and Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and create confusion through varied responses, which they hope will make the state ungovernable and provide them with some kind of warped basis to introduce emergency rule in Rivers State.
“Furthermore, there are strong indications that some persons have been detailed exclusively to create systemic collapse of security in the state, putting lives and property in danger.
“This is undemocratic, unacceptable and a complete violation of the mandate that the good people of Rivers State have vested on us.”
He called on the people of Rivers to “remain calm, watchful and law abiding as the scenario unfolds.”
Meanwhile, outside the state, Amaechi has more battles to fights as some forces are scheming to prevent him from recontesting the chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).
The move is being spearheaded by those in the camp of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“The President’s loyalists want to ensure the Governor does not contest the NGF election, since they don’t want the President to be messed up.”
“From all indications, the President’s choice for the chairmanship of NGF doesn’t appear to have the support of his colleagues, even after Tony Anenih’s visit to the states.
“That is why they made up their mind that the best way to stop Amaechi would be to impeach him.” the source said.
Reports of an impeachment plot became rife on Monday, when the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by court-installed Felix Obuah state committee announced the suspension of 27 members of the state House of Assembly, including the Speaker, Otelemaba Dan-Amachree.
The party also gave Amaechi a 48-hour ultimatum to explain the ownership of a state-owned aircraft by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) last Saturday or face sanctions.
On Tuesday, the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who were suspended by a faction of the state PDP on Monday secured an interim injunction from a High Court in Port Harcourt restraining the party from carrying out the suspension.
The court order was dated Monday April 29, the same day the lawmakers were suspended.
The PDP Majority Leader of the Assembly, Chidi Julius Lloyd, who is among the suspended 27 lawmakers, approached the court through his counsel Emenike Ebette., with an affidavit requesting for an interim injunction restraining the Obuah-led executive from effecting the suspension.
Lloyd’s action follows a 48-hour ultimatum given to the lawmakers by the Obuah-led executive to reinstate Chairman of the Obio Akpor Local Government, Timothy Nsirim, the Vice Chairman, Solomon Eke, and all the 17 councillors suspended by the lawmakers on April 22, or face disciplinary action by the party.
Obio/Akpor local government area is the home town of Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, who is believed to be leading Anti-Amaechi group.
The interim injunction granted by Justice Sika Henry Aprioku also restrained the PDP, Felix Obuah, state Chairman, and Ibibia Opuene O’Walters, state Secretary, from declaring their seats vacant and from applying to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections to replace them, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit which comes up on May 6.
Justice Aprioku, in the suit No. PHC/901/2013, also granted leave to the 27 lawmakers to serve the 1st defendant (PDP) at Wadata Plaza, Plot 1970, Wuse, Zone 5, Abuja, “outside the jurisdiction of the court” or by substituted means by pasting the writ of summons or other processes at the PDP national headquarters at Wadata Plaza in Abuja.
The Rivers State High Court also granted the prayers of the 27 lawmakers to serve Obuah and Opuene, 2nd and 3rd defendants, by substituted means by pasting the writ of summons at the PDP state secretariat, at No. 23, Aba Road, Port Harcourt.
Justice Aprioku again asked the embattled legislators to publish the order of the court “in one edition of The Guardian newspaper and one edition of ‘Independent Monitor’, a local tabloid that is widely circulated, in Rivers State”.
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