APC to challenge Nyako’s impeachment in court
By Adetokunbo Fakeye
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on Wednesday said the party would challenge the impeachment of Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako in court.
Nyako himself has vowed to head for the court.
Odigie-Oyegun said: “I don’t know how much I can say to that your question because I think if we are not already in court, I think we should be.
“But it is clear that there was no due process. Even as loose as the provisions are, they did not have the patience and decency to abide by them.”
Asked to be specific, Oyegun said: “For example, just to take the basic one: the law provides that the governor must be personally served. Was he served personally?
“Secondly, there was a subsisting court order, which should have stopped the impeachment process until the governor’s petition was disposed off. But they went ahead.
“There are a lot more other but when our lawyers go to court, you will see that. Concerning allegation of gross misconduct, it was the most fair- less impeachment procedure on record up to date.
“I have no doubt in my mind that any properly constituted legal tribunal is going to reverse the process. We are going to vigorously challenge what has happened in Adamawa State.”
On insinuation that President was behind the impeachment, after the former governor had publicly absolved the President of complicity, Chief Oyegun insisted that there was no contradiction between the party’s position and Nyako’s purported statement.
“There is no contradiction there. The governor did what he had to do. But we will agree as a party what to do when the need arises for us to do it. There is no contradiction, the governor is a governor, the party is a party. That is a bit different.
“On the loose provision of the constitution, our legal luminaries and representatives will look into it.
“In this nation, you know what happens, when the weakness of the law favours those who have the hammer in their hand, they use it to the fullest possible effect.” He said.
