The gale of impeachment across the political landscape of Nigeria has blown away the deputy governor of Imo State, Mr. Eze Madumere and the speaker of Kano State House of Assembly, Mr. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata.
In Imo, the House, found Madumere guilty of alleged gross misconduct despite that the deputy governor had obtained a court injunction restraining the seven-man investigative panel earlier set up by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Pascal Nnadi.
Madumere was replaced by the state’s head of service, Mr. Callistus Ekenze who was immediately cleared by the lawmakers as deputy governor.
The motion for Madumere’s removal was said to have been moved by the majority leader, Lugard Osuji (Owerri Municipal) and supported by Victor Onyewuchi (Owerri west.)
It would be recalled that earlier in the month, six lawmakers, led by its deputy speaker, Ugonna Ozuruigbo, had petitioned the House against Madumere, alleging gross misconduct.
It would also be recalled that prior to his removal, the erstwhile deputy governor was not in speaking terms with Okorocha over the latter’s plan to foist his son-in-law, Mr. Uche Nwosu as his successor in 2019.
Okorocha’s decision had split the party in the state, resulting in a majority of the stakeholders forming the Coalition Alliance to thwart the succession plan.
In Kano, the House of Assembly has impeached its speaker, Ata and a new one, Mr. Kabiru Alhassan Rirum.
It would be recalled that there was a plot to remove the erstwhile speaker in May with about 23 lawmakers as signatories supporting the move.
However, the plan could not be executed following the intervention of the governor of the state, Mr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who brokered peace between the factions in the matter.
The governor’s intervention resulted in a power sharing arrangement which elevated the new speaker to the position of deputy speaker.
In the latest changes, Rirum was equally replaced by Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari, while Baffa Baba Dan’agundi and Ayuba Labaran emerged the new majority and minority leaders respectively.
In his reaction, Ganduje described the leadership change as a “process of internal democracy.”
Speaking during a courtesy call by the new leadership of the House at the Government House, Ganduje said he was only informed of the changes in the House by telephone.
Going by his long experience in politics, Ganduje said the change that took place in the house was not unusual as it happens from time to time.
The governor further described the impeachment as a smooth transition and urged the new leadership to carry everybody along in the business of the house.
