The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday deplored the ongoing attempts by eight of the 30 members of the Benue State House of Assembly to impeach the state Governor, Samuel Ortom.
Rising from an emergency meeting in Abuja on Monday, the party expressed apprehension that the unfolding development was capable of destabilising elected government in the state.
In a communique released shortly after the meeting, the PDP condemned the purported meeting of the eight assembly members, including the impeached Speaker, Terkibir Kyanger, during which an impeachment notice was served on the governor.
The communique read: “The NWC condemns in its entirety the purported sitting of eight APC members including the impeached and suspended Speaker; (in a 30 member House) wherein they illegally claimed to have served an impeachment notice on the Governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom.
“PDP also condemns the use of the EFCC and DSS to harass and intimidate officials of the Benue State Government. We note the roles played by the factional Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government and Senator George Akume in encouraging lawless acts and anarchy in Benue State.”
The party blamed the actions and opinions expressed by Oshiomole regarding Ortom’s defection from the APC to the PDP and the deployment of policemen to the Assembly for the illegal moves to impeach the governor.
According to the PDP, the unfolding drama in Benue State was meant to foment crisis that could warrant the declaration of emergency rule in the state.
The communique continued: “It is on record that the erstwhile Speaker had been impeached, suspended and restrained by a court of competent jurisdiction from parading himself as Speaker.
“In spite of this, it is shocking that no fewer than 300 policemen were alleged to have escorted the impeached Speaker to the State House of Assembly to initiate a disgraceful and manifestly illegal process.
“Our party warns against deliberate acts which were maliciously designed to truncate democracy by employing underhand tactics to achieve what is inconceivable in a democracy.”
The PDP called on the Nigerian public, the civil society organisations and the international community to note the series of plots and deliberate attempts by the Federal Government to cause mayhem in a state that is struggling to recover from a spate of killings and bloodletting.
“We are aware that these plots were designed to scare away Nigerians, including state governors and legislators who are desirous of rallying with the PDP to rescue our nation from the mis-governance of the Buhari regime,” the PDP added.
