Court Sacks Fintiri, Orders Swearing-In Of Ngilari, Nyako’s Deputy

Justice Ademola Adeniyi of Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered that the former deputy governor of Adamawa state, Mr. Bala Ngilari, should be sworn in as the substantive governor of the state.

Acting governor of Adamawa State, Umar Fintiri

The substantive speaker of the House of Assembly, Alhaji Umar Fintiri, is also mandated to vacate office as the acting governor of the state.

He ruled that the alleged resignation of Ngilari on July 14, 2014 was invalid, null and void as it breached the provisions of sections 306(1), (2) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution because it was addressed to the Speaker and acted upon by the House of Assembly.

Ngilari, through his lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, had submitted that by virtue of section 191 (1) of the 1999 Constitution that after the impeachment of Governor Murtala Nyako, that he, Ngilari being the next in the line of succession should have been inaugurated as governor.

The former deputy governor further deposed that the assertion that he resigned his position as deputy governor was untenable given the claim by the House of Assembly that he, Ngilari resigned in a letter addressed to the speaker of the House of Assembly.

Ngilari had relied on section 306 (1), (2) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), that his resignation from office as deputy governor could only be addressed to the substantive governor at that time who he claimed was Nyako.

Nyako, in his submission to the court had also claimed that he did not accept the purported resignation of Ngilari as deputy governor.

The bye-election fixed for this Saturday, will no longer hold.

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Court Sacks Fintiri, Orders Swearing-In Of Ngilari, Nyako’s Deputy

I have brought back PDP stolen mandate - Adamawa acting governor

By Chuks Okocha

The acting governor of Adamawa State, Alhaji Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri friday visited the national Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party in Abuja, just days after Murtala Nyako was impeached as governor, with a declaration that the party’s stolen mandate in the state had been recovered.

PDP

Fintiri, who apparently came to give account of how he recovered the mandate, said his emergence as acting governor had restored the mandate.

“As a loyal and obedient party member, I came on a courtesy call to my party and the National Working Committee (NWC) as my first assignment after the battle to remove governor Nyako who had stolen the mandate of the PDP under which he was elected.

“I came here to return the mandate and I have handed it over to them. I promised that I will work together with the party, its leadership and the people of Adamawa to ensure that our party is restored to the people.”

Meanwhile, the national leadership of PDP said that the removal of Nyako and coming on board of the acting governor would help address the rot the state had experienced.

In his remarks, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh noted that Fintiri would restore dignity to the party as well as address the rot caused the party by Nyako. He promised that the leadership would give him the needed support and encouragement.

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I have brought back PDP stolen mandate - Adamawa acting governor

Adamawa acting gov sacks cabinet

•Majority leader removed

THE acting governor of Adamawa State, Alhaji Umar Fintiri, has dissolved the cabinet constituted by former governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako (retd).

In a statement signed by Professor Abdullahi Liman Tukur, the Secretary to the State Government, who was sworn in on Thursday, the sack of all political appointees of the Nyako-led administration was with immediate effect.

The statement said following the resignation of the deputy governor and the impeachment of Nyako, commissioners, special advisers, principal assistants, special assistants and other political appointees “are hereby relieved of their appointments.”

The statement directed the dismissed functionaries to hand over government properties in their custody to their respective permanent secretaries and other appropriate officers within government establishment.

Also, the majority leader of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Honourable Ishaq Bala, has been removed.

Bala, a member representing Yola North constituency, was removed for not supporting the impeachment of ousted governor.

He was, accordingly, replaced by Salishu Kabilo from Verre constituency as the new majority leader of the assembly.

In another development, the acting governor has ordered the scrapping of the Special Projects and Programmes Unit (SPPU) under Government House.

This was contained in a press release signed by Solomon Kumangar, Director, Press and Public Affairs, Government House, Yola.

The acting governor directed the state Head of Service to retrieve all government property in custody of the unit with immediate effect.

According to the acting governor, the unit had been a subject of controversy since its establishment, adding that it was done contrary to the law and civil service procedures.

Meanwhile, the sacked commissioners, on Thursday, paid a courtesy visit to the acting governor, pledging their loyalty.

However, barely 72 hours into the administration of Alhaji Fintiri as acting governor of the state, crisis is brewing between the state executive of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), members of the House of Assembly and local government council chairmen.

The battle for supremacy was made manifest at the swearing-in ceremony of the newly appointed SSG, Professor Tukur, at the chambers of the Government House.

Government House protocol officers had a hectic time controlling the guests, as there was confusion over seats meant for sacked commissioners, members of the state executive of PDP, led by its chairman, Chief Joel Madaki and the state lawmakers.

The confusion delayed the swearing-in ceremony for close to one hour, as the protocol officials were left helpless, even as the PDP executive and members of the assembly continued to trade words.

The intervention of top security personnel and other government officials prevented the situation from degenerating into fiscuffs.

Council chairmen, who were also put in one obscure corner at the ceremony, equally complained that they were not accorded their rightful positions.

They were, however, accused of being loyal to the administration of Nyako, adding that “they do not deserve any recognition.”

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Adamawa acting gov sacks cabinet