A report by Vanguard indicates that the plots to impeach Senate President Godswill Akpabio assumed a new twist on Tuesday following indications that no fewer than 10 of the former governors in the upper chamber and a coalition of civic organisations are now calling for his impeachment.
Some pro-Akpabio senators were said to have embarked on a troubleshooting mission to their colleagues, even though some were reportedly contemplating getting involved with the Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje-led All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC).
“The party is just reading a lot of things, but we have heard that some of the senators are thinking of meeting with our NWC to help resolve the issue”, said an APC official.
While the anti-Akpabio senators described the earlier reports of planned impeachment as “phantom,” the Coalition for Parliamentary Democracy (CPD) asked the Senate President to step down, having reportedly fallen out of favour with his colleagues.
CPD, which was reacting to claims from Senator Akpabio’s office that “one south-south governor” was behind the impeachment threat to remove him from office, counselled Senator Akpabio to stop pointing fingers of accusation and instead come clean on why his colleagues want him out.
In a statement by its national coordinator, Dr. Menike Johnson, CPD on Tuesday accused Senator Akpabio of seeking to heat the polity by pointing fingers.
Insisting that the nation needs a very stable and united National Assembly at this critical time, CPD said Nigerians cannot afford to take a Senate plagued by an unstable leadership that does not command the loyalty of the lawmakers.
“Our nation is in a very critical moment, and Nigerians cannot afford a Senate that is plagued by an unstable leadership which does not command the loyalty of the lawmakers”, CPD stated.
