From Umar Dankano, Yola
The Adamawa chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday disclosed that the refusal of the impeached Governor Murtala Nyako to release the sum of N1.2 billion constituency allowance to the state Assembly members led to his ouster.
Adamawa state APC chairman, Hon. Binta Masi Garba, gave the revelation at a press conference yesterday at the party secretariat in Yola. She stressed that the development (Nyako’s impeachment) was unfortunate and dangerous to the survival of democracy in Nigeria.
According to Masi, the lawmakers demanded for N1.2 billion, but the former Governor insisted on releasing only N500 million to them out of which he had given N350 million. His inability to complete the money as demanded by the lawmakers led to his removal, she said.
“I think the people of Adamawa state need to know this. The state lawmakers demanded for the sum N1.2 billion in the name of constituency projects but the Governor insisted that he will give them N500 million and they have already collected the sum of N350 million before his impeachment.” She revealed.
The party also accused the presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for masterminding Nyako’s removal to pave way for the muzzling of the opposition in the state.
She described the situation as naked use of power by the PDP which engaged in threats and impeachment of the opposition governors, stressing that Nyako’s impeachment was ill motivated, ill- timed, vindictive, illegal and immoral.
According to her, despite a subsisting court order issued by the state acting Chief Judge restraining the state legislature from proceeding with the issue pending the determination of the case, the same acting Chief Judge went ahead to set up a panel to investigate the allegations in direct contravention of his earlier order which he had not vacated.
“This and other illegalities sent dangerous signals of the manipulation of the judiciary for narrow political objectives.
If the judiciary is not insulated from party politics, but rather allows itself to be used to subvert democratic values, the country stands the risk of sliding into anarchy, she said.
“Had Nyako remained in the PDP, would he have been impeached? This abuse of power against the opposition is pernicious, selfish, Ill- motivated and dangerous for Nigeria’s democracy.” she added
The chairman declared that the destruction of the opposition will inevitably lead to the destruction of democracy itself as seen in several countries of the world.
She described the PDP as a ruthless, unscrupulous and anti-democratic party which is are hell bent on retaining power at all cost come 2015 through the use of force and impeachment of opposition governors.
Contacted for their reaction over the allegation, the chairman house committee on information, who is also the member representing Michika constituency in the Assembly, Hon. Adamu Kamale, said he needed to see the text of the press conference before commenting.
