Constitution Breaches: PDP Calls for Governor Obiano’s Impeachment, Petitions Anambra Assembly

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Tuesday, February 21st, 2017

By IGNATIUS OKPARA, Awka

(African Examiner) – The Anambra state chapter of the crisis-ridden opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has petitioned the state House of Assembly, calling for the commencement of impeachment processes on Governor Willie Obiano over alleged constitutional breaches.

Chairman of the party in the state, Prince Ken Emeakayi, had during its stakeholders meeting in Awka, the Anambra state capital weekend, said the PDP would no longer accept the breach of the Constitution of Nigeria at will by Governor Obiano, hence, the petition to the state Assembly.

According to the party, Obiano, who is governing the state under the platform of the All progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, had in January this year, left the shores of Nigeria and spent 30 days without transmitting a letter to that effect to the state House of Assembly as required by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

It noted that on return to the Nigeria and the state after the trip, the governor, did not again transmit to the House of his return, a development the party insisted had made Governor Obiano unfit to continue to govern the State, having violated the constitution he swore to uphold.

Emeakayi further hinted that the party had also written the Police, Department of State Security (DSS) and other security agencies to intimate them of the constitutional breach by Chief Obiano.

He said: “We have written to the police, DSS and other security agencies in the country to let them know that the governor is now acting illegally.

“We have duly notified the State House of Assembly in a separate letter and we are calling on them to immediately commence impeachment proceedings on the governor because his offence is very clear.

“Obiano had on January 5, at the peak of the Yuletide, travelled to the United States of America, without transmitting a letter to the House of Assembly, and stayed for 30 days without his deputy acting as governor and as such not fit to continue with the task upon return. He is no longer the governor of this state by this breach.”

The PDP chairman, equally recalled the issue of the non-conduct of council Area election and insisted that, for the governor to have failed to conduct local government election as required by Section Seven of the constitution was also an impeachable offence.

But in a swift reaction, the Senior Special Assistant SSA to Governor Willie Obiano on Media, Strategic Communication and Legislative Matters, Prince Oliver Okpala described the allegations and statements of the PDP state chairman as laughable, questioning his authority to make such comments.

He said: “The present development and allegations are laughable because the person making the allegation has a case of locus standi in law to decide if he is fit and proper person to speak on behalf of the PDP as the chairman in Anambra State, judging from the recent political developments in his party.

“Is he the fit and proper person to speak or write any letter to the state Assembly as state chairman of the party? Which side of the party does he belong to, the Markafi faction or the Ali Modu Sheriff faction” Okpala asked.

“Also, may we know if all the legal actions instituted by other party members challenging his position as chairman have been resolved ?

“These are fundamental issues to be resolved first before we can know who is making the allegations against the governor; which party he represents and in which position he is speaking or writing, because you know that the Markafi faction of the PDP has rejected the Court of Appeal judgment and has gone to challenge it at the Supreme Court.

“Not until these legal issues are resolved, the position and authenticity of the allegations may not attract the attention of any legitimate organ of government.”

During the meeting which was put together by the party leadership in the state to strategise on how to wrestle power from APGA in the forthcoming gubernatorial election this year, the state chairman, had urged its members to stand up and take what belongs to them.

He declared that Anambra was a PDP state, and had remained so, save for the connivance of the national echelon of the party as previously constituted, which sold the franchise of the party to former governor Peter Obi.

According to the chairman, “Now that Obi has returned to the PDP, the party’s franchise which APGA had been using to win election in the state has been returned to PDP, and the party is more strengthened now than ever to take back the state from APGA, which has been leading the state on borrowed term.

“Anambra people are no longer happy with APGA governor, and I hear them yearning for change.

“So, Anambra will return to PDP this year, we only call on traditional rulers, bishops and clergy men to play the role of fathers, rather than disrupt the wishes of the people.” Emeakayi stated.