The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has said the move by eight lawmakers to impeach him cannot stand and is laughable. Eight members of the state assembly who are members of the All Progressive Congress served impeachment notice on the governor earlier today..
The lawmakers, Adanyi Benjamin, Terhemba Chabo, Benjamin Nungwa, Bem Mngutyo, Adams Okloho, James Okefe and Nick Eworo were among members that moved for the governor’s impeachment.
The plot was coordinated by Terkimbi Ikyange who was removed as speaker of the Assembly last week.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Terver Akase, Ortom said his principal was still the governor of the State, adding that 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.
“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, two other members who were part of the cangaroo 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 has been suspended for six 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 stand null and void.”
