Kogi lawmakers debunk alleged plan to impeach Speaker

Lawmakers in the Kogi State House of Assembly have distanced themselves from the signatures collected to impeach the Speaker, Matthew Kolawole.

Making this known, yesterday, during plenary, the lawmakers said they collected signatures to pass confidence vote in Governor Yahaya Bello’s presidential ambition and not to impeach the Speaker.

Their position was coming days after the impeached Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Mohammed (representing Ankpa I) and two other former principal officers – Bello Abdullahi (Ajaokuta), and Moses Odoo (Dekina/Biraidu) – told journalists that Kolawole had been impeached as Speaker of Kogi Assembly over alleged financial impropriety, high-handedness, serial abuse of office and refusal to abide by the provisions of the Constitution.

Lawmakers, who took turns to speak during the plenary presided over by Kolawole, recalled that on May 13, 2022, members unanimously agreed to support Governor Bello’s presidential ambition and not to impeach the Speaker.

Reacting, Kolawole said the suspended lawmakers violated the house rule and would be investigated by the committee on ethics and privileges.

“The chairman of this committee should write to the suspended lawmakers. It is a grievous offence. A member that is expected to be honourable is now acting dishonourably. I call this forgery, because a document that is meant for something is being used for another thing.

“At this juncture, the three former principal officers – Mohammed, Abdullahi and Odoo –remain suspended, pending the outcome of the investigation,” he added.