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Why APC lawmakers cannot impeach Ortom – spokesman

By Dennis Erezi
30 July 2018   |   12:34 pm
Amid reports that members of the All Progressives Congress in Benue state House of Assembly served the Governor of the state, Samuel Ortom an impeachment notice, his spokesman said the lawmakers lack the constitutional powers to impeach the governor. The lawmakers, Adanyi Benjamin, Terhemba Chabo, Benjamin Nungwa, Bem Mngutyo, Adams Okloho, James Okefe and Nick…

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom

Amid reports that members of the All Progressives Congress in Benue state House of Assembly served the Governor of the state, Samuel Ortom an impeachment notice, his spokesman said the lawmakers lack the constitutional powers to impeach the governor.

The lawmakers, Adanyi Benjamin, Terhemba Chabo, Benjamin Nungwa, Bem Mngutyo, Adams Okloho, James Okefe and Nick Eworo served an impeachment notice on the governor on Monday.

The impeachment plot is being coordinated by Terkimbi Ikyange who was removed as speaker of the Assembly last week.

It is also coming barely a week after Ortom dumped the ruling APC for the opposition party, People’s Democratic Party.

Reacting to the impeachment notice, Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, said the lawmakers lack the constitutional powers to remove him from office.

He said, “Ortom is still the Chief Executive of the State. You can’t just impeach a Governor in a flash. You have to go through all the legal and constitutional processes.

Akase said “They have not been able to form a quorum, so it is not possible. Only eight people served the governor the notice, even at that, 2 other members who were part of the kangaroo sitting were on the side of the governor, so how can anybody call that an impeachment notice. It’s laughable and must be ignored completely.

“And for the record, there is a court injunction restricting the impeached Speaker from parading himself as the Speaker of the House and that court injunction has not been vacated.

He added that the former speaker, Terkimbi Ikyange, “has been suspended for 6 months, he doesn’t have any constitutional right to go back to that Assembly. He has done nothing to vacate that injunction so whatever he did stands null and void.”

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