Presidency plots to impeach Kwankwaso

By Ese Awhotu and Edwin Olofu in Kano.

The presidency has set a machinery in motion to constitutionally oust Kano state governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso from office.

A presidential directive to that effect has been given and foot soldiers dispatched to seal the deal, reliable sources confirmed to People’s Daily yesterday.

The team is expected to cajole disaffected state legislators who will, in turn, begin impeachment proceedings after past ‘financial misdeeds’ of the governor have been unearthed.

Part of the strategy to nail Kwankwaso, a frontline All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain is to critically scrutinize his records as Minister at the Ministry of Defense, Army Pension and various accounts of Kano state Ministries of Finance, Local Govt Affairs, Works and office of the Accountant General.

A letter of request has been sent to the office of the Accountant General of the Federation demanding that all the local government monies released to the state be made available, sources revealed.

Some politicians drawn from 44 local councils of the state have been drafted into the plot.

President Jonathan alleged while receiving into his party’s fold, former governor of the state, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau that Kwankwaso misappropriated local government funds, in addition to diverting funds meant for delegates during the Presidential primaries in 2011.

People’s Daily was also informed that plans have been hatched to get the signatures of two members of the PDP vanguard in each of the local governments preparatory to filing a court case against governor Kwankwaso.

Those tasked with the task have been promised a handsome financial rewards, the sources hinted.

Peoples Daily reliably gathered that the presidency is jittery at the prospects of Kwankwaso emerging as the Presidential flag-bearer of the APC and is fine tuning plans to stop APC governors from endorsing the erstwhile Minister of Defense.

The presidency has therefore, directed that every effort must be made to stop him, sources said.

APC controls the Kano state assembly with a total of 34 out of 40 members making the impeachment plot an impossibility. Kwankwaso defected to the APC along with 30 of the PDP lawmakers thus swelling its ranks to 34.

Contacted, Alhaji Danburam Abubakar Nuhu, the commissioner of Information, Culture, Youth and Sport in Kano state, said the plan to oust Kwankwaso belonged to the realm of dreams.

“Even in their wildest dreams, it cannot happen here, Kano is not like other states. What Kwankwaso has done in Kano has not been done in other parts of the country. We have given the people what they have been yearning for since and they happy with us.

“We want him in the presidency so that he can replicate what he has done in Kano at the national level. We the cabinet members are committed and are loyal to his government, those that were not loyal have left the cabinet because his administration is not a playful one. The Assembly members are equally loyal to him, because they have been with him for long, even when they attempted to snatch the ticket away from him, they stood by him and were ready to defect with him any time; you can see that the relationship was not built in a day, it has been there.” He said

Former Adamawa state governor, Murtala Nyako was recently impeached while his Nasarawa state counterpart, Tanko Al-makura narrowly escaped a similar fate. Both governors are members of the opposition APC.

A huge sum of money running into millions of Naira in foreign currency was voted for the Nasarawa botched plans to impeach the governor. The funds were channeled through a serving minister.

Contacted, the Political Adviser to the president, Dr Rufai was not available for comment. Similarly, the PDP publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh could not be reached.