Plot to impeach Amaechi thickens

An ostensibly private visit to Rivers State
yesterday by the First Lady, Dame Patience
Jonathan, sparked fresh tension over an
alleged plot to impeach Governor Rotimi
Amaechi and Deputy Governor Tele Ikuru.

Mrs.Jonathan, who is from the state, is
scheduled to attend the wedding of one of her
relations today in Port Harcourt.
Rumours of a planned session in the state
House of Assembly by the six anti-Amaechi
lawmakers had spread earlier in the day,but
the complex remained locked by the police.

The police last night warned the warring state
lawmakers to keep off the House after
receiving the notice of appeal filed by the
National Assembly against a High Court
judgement declaring as unconstitutional the
take-over of the functions of the Assembly by
the federal legislators.
It was gathered that the First Lady met
yesterday in Port Harcourt and her Okrika
hometown with the anti-Amaechi legislators
and politicians, including executive members
of the PDP in the state.
Details of the discussion were not immediately
known.

The calculation of the pro-impeachment group
is to have the self-acclaimed Speaker of the
House of Assembly, Evans Bipi, take over the
affairs of the state once the plot succeeds
with the Minister of State for Education, Chief
Nyesom Wike,waiting in the wings to fly the
PDP ticket in the governorship election that
will follow.

The main entrance of the House of Assembly
remained barricaded yesterday with Armoured
Personnel Carriers (APCs), several police
patrol vans and battle-ready policemen on
stand-by.

23 of the 25 pro-Amaechi lawmakers are
understood to have signed an undertaking
with the police to be of good conduct once the
Assembly is re-opened.
None of the six anti-Wike legislators has
signed the document.

Bipi, in an interview, said that the Clerk of the
Rivers House of Assembly, Sir Emmanuel
Amewhule Ogele, did not notify his group of
the signing of the undertaking with the police.
Bipi’s spokesman, Itobo Ofem, in a telephone
interview at 3:21 pm yesterday, described the
six anti-Amaechi lawmakers as law-abiding
citizens who stood for justice.
Ofem also hinted that the rebel legislators
were holding a crucial meeting, but declined
to give details.

The Press Secretary to the Speaker of the
Rivers House of Assembly, Otelemaba Dan
Amachree, Udede Jim-Opiki, at 3:16 pm,
through the telephone, insisted that his boss
remained the authentic helmsman.

Jim-Opiki also expressed optimism that the
31 members of the Rivers House of Assembly
would soon sit with Amachree presiding.

A state High Court, sitting in Ahoada, has
restrained Bipi from parading himself as
speaker.

The factional speaker, however, declared that
he would not obey a “kangaroo” court order.

The state Police Command, in a statement
last night, said the complex would remain
shut until the Court of Appeal rules on the
matter.