Governorship candidate on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Natasha Akpoti on Sunday described the impeachment of Kogi State Deputy Governor, Elder Simon Achuba as unconstitutional.
Akpoti who also said the impeachment does not measure up to any democratic rule called on all lovers of democracy in Nigeria to raise their voices against the undemocratic impeachment of the former Kogi State deputy governor.
Akpoti who addressed newsmen in Abuja on Sunday said the responsibility to protect democracy rests on the shoulders of all Nigerians who are the beneficiaries of responsible democratic processes and governance.
“It is not about Elder Simon Achuba, it is about Nigeria’s democracy and the brazen antidemocratic practise demonstrated in Kogi State which must be condemned,” she said.
Akpoti maintained that the remark by the Chairman, Investigate Panel on Impeachment of Deputy Governor, John Baiyeshea was instructive and expository of the brazen act against democracy in Kogi State under the watch of the state government.
Akpoti noted that it is quite unfortunate that the state assembly which ought to protect democratic tenets are subjects of the governor and decided to act contrary to the reports of the Investigative Panel.
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The gubernatorial candidate of the SDP recalled that Chairman, Investigate Panel on Impeachment of the Deputy Governor, John Baiyeshea, SAN had stated on Friday that Kogi State Assembly acted contrary to the report he submitted.
“As far as the report that we submitted to the house of assembly is concerned, the committee returned the decision that all the allegations were not proved. What the constitution said by section 188(8) is that, ‘once the panel returns a verdict like that. No further proceedings can be taken on it.’
“That is it. It is only when the panel returns a verdict that allegations have been proven (to be true) that they can go ahead within 40 days. When did the house sit? We delivered the documents and the house was not even in session today.”
It would be recalled that the Kogi State Assembly had impeached the deputy governor, Elder Simon Achuba after receiving the report of a panel constituted by the state Chief Judge, Nadir Ajana.
The panel was constituted to investigate the allegation of the unpaid salaries for the deputy governor who alleged that the governor has not paid his salary for and plotted his assassination.
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