PDP NWC condemns plot against Ortom

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) convened an emergency session in Abuja on Monday to review the situation in Benue State where security agents were reported to have aided eight members of the State House of Assembly in an attempt to impeach Governor Samuel Ortom.

At the end of the meeting, the national leadership of the main opposition party condemned the act and the roles allegedly played by the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the Police, the Department of State Security (DSS) and APC chieftain, Senator George Akume in the imbroglio.

The PDP alleged that what happened in the state legislature was an attempt to intimidate APC members who are intent on defeating from the ruling party.

According to a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the PDP NWC, noted that the impeached Speaker of the House has no right to convey the assembly and preside over a minority group as a court of competent jurisdiction had already forbidden him from parading himself as the Speaker.

It said the action of the minority members of the House could truncate the nation’s democracy.

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The communique read: “NWC considered unfolding developments and issues happening in Benue State, particularly as they concern the State House of Assembly and the stability of elected Government.

“The NWC condemns in its entirely 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 APC, Adams Oshiomhole, President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government and Sen. George Akume in encouraging lawless acts and anarchy in Benue State.

“Party states that the actions and opinions expressed by Oshiomole on the decamping of Governor Ortom to the PDP as well as the deployment of Policemen by the Buhari led Federal Government to force the purported issuance of illegal impeachment notice on the Governor are acts intended to precipitate crisis for declaration of state of emergency in Benue.

“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 Party calls on the Nigerian Public, the civil society organizations and International Community to note the series of plots and deliberate attempts by the Buhari led APC 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 misgovernance of the Buhari regime.

“However, party urges members to remain steadfast as no amount of intimidation, harassment and assault on processes would suppress the freedom of choice eminently guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended). This misadventure is dead on arrival and again demonstrates the desperation of this failed APC Federal Government.

“PDP, therefore, urges its members, particularly in Benue State, to rise in defence of their rights and our hard-earned democracy.”

In his reaction, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, also condemned what he called the awkward political development in Benue State where some lawmakers, aided and abetted by the Nigeria Police Force came together to illegally occupied the Benue State House of Assembly and served impeachment notice to Governor Samuel Ortom.

Reacting to the political development in a statement in Abuja on Monday, the former Vice President said he was greatly embarrassed by the unfolding political drama in Benue State.

He condemned “the aberration and arbitrariness in the plot to oust Governor Ortom contrary to the provisions of the country’s constitution.”

According to him, any attempt to disregard the rule of law and constitution in the impeachment of a governor is a recipe for anarchy and officially sanctioned lawlessness.

Atiku regretted that, for a state facing security challenges like Benue, the introduction of lawlessness in the impeachment process could only complicate an already bad situation.

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He urged the police to remain politically neutral and avoid aiding lawlessness, adding that partisanship could professionally destroy the image of police.

He stressed that the loyalty of the police should be to the constitution and the rule of law.

The former Vice President noted that whatever might be the short-term political benefits of lawlessness, the long-term dangers are by far greater than those perceived benefits.

He warned that, if unchecked, the political situation in Benue State could lead to a domino effect across the country, thereby jeopardizing our democracy and endangering innocent lives and property of lawful citizens.

Similarly, in his reaction to the Benue debacle, PDP presidential aspirant, Kabiru Turaki (SAN), expressed apprehension about the survival of democracy in Nigeria “considering the manner in which it is being held at gunpoint by the Buhari Administration without remorse.”

In a statement entitled: “Are we In A Democracy?” the presidential aspirant noted that to describe recent attacks on democracy as condemnable was an understatement.

He recalled the hijacking of the Ekiti State governorship seat by the APC-led government using 30,000 policemen besides other security forces deployed for just one election.

He recalled also the deployment of policemen on July 27 ostensibly to block the Benue State House of Assembly from performing its democratic duty of sitting in the legislative chamber.

Turaki recalled further” the scandalous siege laid to the official residences of the Senate President and his deputy, with the probability of blocking them from going to the Senate chambers and having them impeached as being alleged.”

He referred to another incident where policemen were suspiciously deployed to the Ekiti State House of Assembly for what they referred to as ‘security reasons’ with the Speaker denying ever making such a request.

Turaki added: “Now, those in possession of the instrument of coercion have done it again with the storming of the Benue State House of Assembly on Monday, July 30 where they deny entry to the Speaker and 18 other members while allowing entry to just seven members loyal to APC.

“These members in the minority, he alleged were planning to impeach Governor Samuel Ortom in spite of the decided cases at the Supreme Court in the matters of former Oyo State governor, Rasheed Ladonna and ex-Plateau State governor, Joshua Dariye where the apex court had declared such moves as illegal, null and void.

“This strong-arm tactics in a democracy that had also been used to humiliate the judiciary, he said, have seriously dented the image of our democracy.”

Turaki called on men and women of goodwill, those who cherish the vision of Nigeria’s founding fathers and lovers of democracy all over the world to stand up and be counted to save the country from sliding into an undeserved anarchy being engineered by the APC.