Punchng:

Adamawa lawmakers plot against new gov

The political crisis in
Adamawa State may not
be over. SUNDAY PUNCH
has learnt that some
lawmakers in the state
House of Assembly have
plans to sack the new
governor, Mr. Bala Ngilari.
Ngilari was sworn in during the week after a Federal High
Court ordered the sack of the Acting Governor, Mr. Ahmadu
Fintiri. Fintiri, who is the Speaker of the Adamawa State House
of Assembly, took over after the impeachment of former
Governor Murtala Nyako in July.
Our correspondents gathered that lawmakers loyal to Fintiri
might have concluded plans to start a fresh fight with Ngilari.
Some of the pro-Fintiri lawmakers told SUNDAY PUNCH, on
Friday, that they were looking out for “possible loopholes”
that could constitute grounds for Ngilari’s impeachment.
One of the lawmakers who insisted on anonymity said, “There
is still tension. Our relationship with the governor (Ngilari)
will be strictly official and members will not take any issue
lying low.”
The lawmaker claimed the ousted acting governor did well
while he ruled the state.
He said, “Members (lawmakers) believe Fintiri proved within
three months that he could bring development to the state.
He awarded several projects that are yielding results at far
less cost than what the previous administration quoted.”
Another House member, who did not want his name
published, informed SUNDAY PUNCH that the lawmakers
were holding a series of meetings on the next step to take.
“We will do our work, while the governor will be doing his
own,” the lawmaker threatened.
Sunday PUNCH gathered that some pro-Fintiri lawmakers
planned to sponsor a motion to commend him for his
“tremendous achievements in office as acting governor.”
Our correspondents say the motion could be opposed by
lawmakers loyal to the new governor and this could set off a
fresh crisis.
When contacted, one of Fintiri’s closest associates in the
House, Mr. Kwamoti La’Ore, did not say whether a plan was
afoot to find grounds for impeaching the governor. However,
he was quick to add that the House would “perform its
constitutional duties if there was any breach or offence” by
the governor.
“We will abide by the court decision, though we are on
appeal. He is the governor (Ngilari) and we will not go after
him unless there is an offence or a breach,” La’Ore said.
Another member of the House, Mr. Adamu Kamale, who did
not also confirm the impeachment plot, said the House would
not move against Ngilari if “things do not go wrong.”
“Our concern, and of course the concern of the people we
represent, is that governance should be done the proper way.
Things should not go wrong. If things do not go wrong, we will
give the governor our full support,” Kamale said.
Kamale warned that any attempt to remove Fintiri as Speaker
would be resisted by lawmakers. In the aftermath of Fintiri’s
removal as acting governor, there has been speculation in the
state that the Speaker would be removed from office because
he hails from the same local government area (Madagali) as
the governor.
But Kamale said, “Some people are trying to create a problem
where there is none. They are citing Section 14 of the 1999
Constitution. That section is talking about appointments and
does not apply to elective positions.
“The Speaker is elected by members of the House and it is the
members who decide who the occupier of the position is. It is
not about geographical location.”
Meanwhile, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party
has commenced moves to nip in the bud the crisis between
the lawamkers and Nigilari.
The state PDP Chairman, Mr. Joel Madaki, told SUNDAY
PUNCH that the party was in touch with both Fintiri and
Ngilari, adding that any differences between the two would be
resolved like a “family affair.”
Madaki said, “We won’t allow them to fight. Why is that
necessary in a family? We are all going to work together, and
smoothly, till the next elections.
“What has happened is already in the past and the party is
one big family.”
On his part, the former governor of Adamawa State, Admiral
Murtala Nyako, has said he is prepared to support the
governor who once served as his deputy.
Nyako spoke through his Director of Press and Public
Relations, Ahmad Sajoh, in a telephone interview with
SUNDAY PUNCH, on Friday. Sajoh was a key witness for the
prosecution during the court proceedings which led to
Ngilari’s legal victory.
He said, “We will continue to support him as long as he rules
with the fear of God, justice and fairness.”
“Nyako is not desperate to return to Government House, but
he will pursue his case in court to let the world know that the
process leading to his removal was wrong. If this leads to his
return to office, fine. He is more interested in clearing his
name.”
Sajoh also dismissed insinuations of a rift between Nyako and
Ngilari.
He said, “Our detractors are peddling such rumours. There is
nothing like that, neither is there anything like we do not
support his being sworn in. How can we not? Ngilari’s
swearing-in only draws Nyako closer to returning to office.
Nyako was a star witness in Ngilari’s case. I went to court five
times.”
In the meantime, recent developments in the state might
have put paid to the governorship ambition of a former
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission,
Nuhu Ribadu, on the platform of the PDP.
The development has also put an earlier agreement to zone
the 2015 governorship ticket to the Adamawa Central zone in
jeopardy.
Ribadu and seven other governorship aspirants had agreed to
put their ambitions on hold by opting out of the primaries
which produced Fintiri, as the party’s candidate for the
botched October 11 governorship polls.
The aspirants’ decision to suspend their ambitions was part of
a deal allegedly brokered at a meeting held at the
Presidential Villa.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh,
however, told one of our correspondents that the party would
look at the agreement and see if it could survive recent
events.
He said, “The zoning was done in the interest of the party. We
would look at the agreement and see if it has been broken by
what happened.”
Meanwhile, more facts have emerged on how Fintiri, fell out
with the presidency and the national leadership of the PDP.
A source in the Presidency and a member of the National
Working Committee of the party, who spoke to our
correspondents on the condition of anonymity, said Fintiri’s
utterances after assuming office gave him away as someone
that could not be trusted to abide by the deal reached by the
aspirants.
The NWC member said, “You remember Fintiri said on
September 10 at the national secretariat here in Abuja, that
his major plan was how to win the October 11, 2014
governorship by-election in which he was the candidate of the
party.
“He also said only God would determine his fate in 2015. He
said we should allow him to win the election first before he
would decide on the next line of action. With such utterances,
it was clear we were not going to be able to get him (to abide)
if he wins.”
In a related development, two senators who spoke to one of
our correspondents have praised the new governor for
relieving Fintiri’s appointees of their appointments.
Senator Kabiru Marafa said the sack of the political
appointees by the new Governor of Adamawa State, was
“good riddance to bad rubbish.”
“He should learn a great lesson from Fintiri who will now go
back to the House of Assembly as a floor member,” he said.
Senator Babafemi Ojudu also said Fintiri erred and since his
action was declared illegal, hence all political appointments
made by him had automatically become illegal.

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