Controversial memo: Presidency, PDP in secret plot to remove Nyako

The  Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  have resolved to  impeach  Governor  Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State,it was learnt yesterday.

Their decision is based  on Nyako’s   recent memo to Northern governors on the insecurity in that part of the country.

The Presidency and the PDP consider the memo  a danger to national security.

They are also relying on  the reports of security agencies into the allegations contained  in Nyako’s letter.

The security agencies, including the  Police, have faulted Nyako’s observations and rated the letter as “subversive and seditious.”

Barring a change of mind, the planned removal  of Nyako  is billed to commence  within the next two weeks.

Some forces in the Presidency and PDP are said to be uncomfortable with the April 16 letter  written by  Nyako in which he accused the Federal Government of genocide in parts of the North under the guise of  fighting Boko Haram insurgency.

The anti-Nyako forces ,sources said,claimed that the governor  failed to substantiate the allegations at  a   session   with the 36  governors in the country on April 24.

They had initially proposed  to the  idea  of President Goodluck Jonathan  appointing military administrators for Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, but this was shot down after  legal advice indicated that it was unconstitutional.

The forces  then opted for a plot to remove Nyako constitutionally from office using  the Adamawa State House of Assembly.

The first stage of the plot  is  to take  total control of the House of Assembly from Nyako.

That may have been achieved already  after the  PDP  secured the support of a comfortable majority of the House on Wednesday with 25 members.

The next stage of the plot is said to be the commencement of  impeachment proceedings against Nyako which will be based on a letter to the Assembly detailing security reports on Nyako’s   memo to Northern governors.

A source familiar with the unfolding development   said: “The lawmakers have already been told that security reports on alleged subversive activities of Nyako will be sent to them.

“On the basis of the reports, the legislators are expected to initiate impeachment proceedings in line with Sections 188 and 189 of the 1999 Constitution.

“The lawmakers are expected to receive security reports on Nyako any moment from now based on seditious breaches as applicable in Section 50-60 of the Criminal Code Act (LFN).”

It was learnt that once Nyako is removed, he would be made to face treasonable trial.

A member of the state House of Assembly, who does not  want his name in print, said: “We have got a verbal notice from the Assembly leadership that a letter is coming from the Presidency.

“But as at the time we ended sitting on Thursday, we had not received any letter or memo or report on Nyako.

“If the alleged constitutional breaches are made available to us, we will look at the letter or memo on merit.”

Some stakeholders in Adamawa State have, however, warned members of the Assembly against the plot to remove Nyako.

The stakeholders  reportedly  told the lawmakers that attempt to remove Nyako  is aimed at creating  animosity  between Muslims and Christians in the state.

It was learnt that Muslim and Fulani leaders in the state have vowed to resist any attempt to make the Deputy Governor, Bala Ngilari (a Christian) to succeed Nyako.

One of the stakeholders said: “These forces in the Presidency should know that the fact that the PDP controls the majority in the state House of Assembly does not lead to automatic removal of Nyako.

“The Muslims and Fulani in the state will feel shortchanged if Nyako is removed as  governor and a Christian is made to succeed him in this circumstance.

“The people of Adamawa State are not opposed to a Christian governor as was the  the case with ex-Governor Boni Haruna, but it must be in a conducive atmosphere, not under treachery or duress.

“When Boni was in charge, Muslim and Christian leaders in the state resisted plot by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo to remove him because of his loyalty to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

“When the chips are down, the PDP may not get the required two thirds to sack Nyako.”

Another source said: “Adamawa may be thrown into a political turmoil, if moves are made by the presidency to remove Nyako. The governor may not be good and acceptable, but he fits into ethno-religious configuration of the state.

“There is a cold war between the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Umar Fintiri, and the Deputy Governor, Bala Ngilari, which would make the removal of Nyako difficult.

“Fintiri, who had upstaged Ngilari politically many times, will certainly not make him to be either acting or substantive governor.”

It was gathered that ex-Vice President Atiku’s factor might frustrate any plans to remove Nyako because the battleline is drawn between the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A chieftain of the APC in Adamawa said: “We are aware of their plot, but they do not know that this state is different. If they have anything against Nyako, let them wait till the end of his tenure.”

Controversial memo: Presidency, PDP in secret plot to remove Nyako

Detective team question Nyako over memo on genocide in Adamawa

By Ehi Ekhator

The Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako is still in trouble over the memo he sent to the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) Alleging that President Jonathan is wiping out northern population through his state of emergency.

Yesterday, detectives from the headquarter in Abuja, questioned the governor at Government House in Yola for more than four hours over the accusation in the memo.

This came as a follow up after the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, warned politicians to desist from making inflammatory statements that could endanger the peace and security of the nation.

It was gathered a combine investigator from Criminal Investigation Department, Force Intellgience Bureau and the IGP monitoring unit, including two Deputy Commissioners of Police, one Assistant Commissioner of Police and two Superintendents of police were drawn to carry out the interrogation.

It was gathered that the interrogation which lasted for four hours is just a first part as the governor is expected to return to the detectives with proof of his accusations.

According to the information gathered, the detectives concentrated on four certain areas while questioning Nyako. The areas were as follows:

• Federal Government’s genocide to reduce the voting populace of the North


• Allegation of Boko Haram terrorism


• The herdsmen attacks and killing which the governor claimed to be a project carried out by the government for political reasons.

Responding to the issue, Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Frank Mba, confirmed the visit of the Police detectives to Adamawa State Government House, adding that they only went there for fact-finding.

The IG through Frank Mba stressed that inflammatory statement could desecrate the national symbol and identity, and promoting a regime of lawlessness, vowing to visit same with sanctions.

 

Detective team question Nyako over memo on genocide in Adamawa

Northern coalition wants Nyako impeached over genocide memo

More reactions have continued to trail the memo by Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, to Northern States Governors Forum in which he accused the Federal Government of sponsoring genocide in Northern Nigeria.

The United Nigeria Forum, a coalition of some civil rights organizations at a press briefing held on Saturday at the secretariat of the FCT council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Abuja demanded that the Adamawa State House of Assembly should commence impeachment proceedings against him.

According to the group, the Federal Government should declare a full state of emergency in Adamawa State and install a Military Administrator to stop all the evils being perpetrated by politicians.

The UNF also called on President Goodluck Jonathan to mount pressure on security agencies to effect Nyako’s arrest “because his memo is a dress rehearsal”

But in his reaction, the Director of Press and Public Affairs in Adamawa State Government House, Mr. Ahmad Sajoh, told THE PUNCH that the people making the demands have been paid to do the job to ensure their survival.

According to him, the installation of a MILAD after emergency rule was unconstitutional going by the pronouncement of the Supreme Court on the emergency rule which was pronounced by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo on Plateau and Ekiti states.

The text of the press briefing entitled – “Governor Murtala Nyako: Desperate agent of destabilization”, was signed by representatives of Northern Coalition for Democracy and Justice, Yunana Shibkau; Transparency Centre Network (Umar Farouk) and Northern Emancipation Network (Abdulazzez Suleman) on behalf of Northern Coalition for Democracy and Justice, Arewa Transformation Advocacy Movement and Transparency Movement.

They said, “Nigeria is the last hope of the black man and that hope should not be allowed to go to blazes because of the utterances of the likes of Nyako.

“By accusing the Federal Government headed by a Christian from the Southern part of the country of the grave crime of promoting and sponsoring genocide, Nyako’s memo was patently intended to be a call to arms by the Muslim population in the Northern part of the country.

“The members of Adamawa State House of Assembly should, if they are in their right state of mind, commence impeachment proceedings against Nyako. We are calling for his impeachment through constitutional means and thereafter, he should be charged to court. We are happy at the ongoing national conference and as such, the process for the removal of immunity clause should be taken into consideration by delegates.”

The UNF called on security agencies to “go after Nyako and compel him to speak more because there is something he is hiding.

“The Nyako’s memo is a pointed signal of what to expect from the forces that have vowed that, it is either them in 2015 or the whole of us perish. Mr. President cannot go on handling the issues of fundamental threats to the nation’s corporate existence with kid gloves.”

But Sajoh said, “If the government decided to recruit some amorphous groups to make money for them, that is their own business. Are they saying it’s not true that people operate at night when we are supposed to have a night time curfew? Are they saying it’s not true that these people (Boko Haram members) pass through areas that are supposed to have 24 hours military check points? Are they saying it’s not true that these people operate 5-6 hours unchallenged? Are they saying it’s not true that they move with long convoys?

“They can collect money from the Presidency and say whatever they want to say; the reality is on ground and even the President knows he is definitely wrong. How possible was it that when there is a night time curfew and with a 24 hours military check point in every 2-3 kilometer, a large convoy of vehicles came to abduct over 100 school girls in Chibok (Borno State) and disappeared as if they were ghosts? These are questions to be asked if we will ever have peace in this country.”

He also queried how many people have been arrested, tried and punished since the Boko Haram menace became more pronounced.

Northern coalition wants Nyako impeached over genocide memo