Al-Makura’s Impeachment: PDP Lawmakers Flee Nasarawa

The 20 lawmakers who signed the impeachment notice against Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura have abandoned the state, following the massive protests that erupted over their plot.

Businesses across the state had been grounded as a result of the violent confrontation between supporters of the lawmakers and those opposed to them ensued in Lafia, leading to the reported killing of two persons. Sources in the state confirm to NewswireNgr that the lawmakers fled for fear of being attacked by some of the Pro-Almakura angry youths, others maintained that since their signature was signed to impeach the governor, they’ve been faced with threats to their lives and could no longer contain the heat in the state.

Police Command in Nasarawa State had on Friday arrested 22 people in Lafia following violent protest by some groups over the impeachment notice served on Gov. Umaru Al-Makura. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ibrahim Idris, who confirmed the arrest said protesters had locally-made pistol, some ammunitions, knives and dangerous weapons were recovered from the suspects. According to him, five shops and a residential apartment were vandalised while a vehicle was burnt by the hoodlums.

Political leaders and paramount rulers in the state are putting immense pressures on the lawmakers to relax the plot and return back to the state..

Sources said it is not safe for the legislators to return to the state, as any attempt by any one of them to enter Nasarawa now might heighten public anger against them.
The House, last Monday, reconvened from an on-going recess at an emergency session, and passed a motion of impeachment, alleging various breaches of the provisions of the constitution against Al-Makura, including misappropriation of funds from 2011 and 2014, as well as allegations gross misconduct and abuse of office processes.

Twenty out of the 24 lawmakers, all of them of the PDP, signed the impeachment notice, containing 16-count charges.

Leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state are storming the state capital Lafia, this week for a Mega rally to kick against the planned impeachment said to have been orchestrated by the Peoples’ Democratic Party. And General Muhammadu Buhari, a Chieftain of the APC who Al-Makura is said to be loyal to will be at the rally to support the embattled governor.

The intrigues and the turn of events has unsettled the deputy governor, Dameshi Barau Luka, who is on his way to becoming the governor in the event the impeachment plot succeeds. Luka, on March 3, dumped the APC for the PDP, alleging his boss betrayed him, and sparking heightened speculations that the development was a necessary stage to lead to Al-Makura’s impeachment so that the PDP will take over with him as the governor.

Al-makura who with President Jonathan Commissioning the Olam rice mill when lawmakers moved against him calling for his immediate impeachment. He was reported to have mobilized stakeholders to Abuja to plead with President Jonathan to intervene.