Tension In Taraba Assembly Over Plot To Impeach Speaker, Principal Officers

BY AMEH IDUJAGI, JALINGO – Palpable apprehension has engulfed the Taraba State House of Assembly following plots by a faction of the lawmakers to impeach the Speaker, Hon Abel Peter Diah and other principal officers. 

It was reliably gathered that nine of the twenty four members have already endorsed their signatures in support of the impeachment which is gathering momentum. 

A dependable source confided on Forefront News that the move for the impeachment of the Speaker, Hon Abel Peter Diah is being plotted by loyalists of Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku for which some huge sums of money is believed to have been set aside to for the project.

It was further gathered that the impeachment plot began last night when some members were assembled in the house of one of their colleagues, a former deputy speaker located behind Government House for a mid-night meeting where the plot was hitched.

However, the remaining 15 members of the House are believed to remain loyal to the embattled Speaker and the leadership of the House and accordingly, rejected the cash offer before leaving the venue of the meeting.

Taking into consideration the required number needed to impeach the Speaker, agents of the governor are working hard to convince the other members to endorse the impeachment and collect the backup funds.

The relationship between the Speaker and the Governor went soar few weeks ago when the Assembly impeached the former deputy Speaker, Hon Mohammed Gwampo for allegedly leaking the secrets of the Assembly to Governor Ishaku. 

Another source told our correspondent that the governor was not happy that in spite of pleas for the lawmakers to spare Gwampo, the legislatures went ahead with his impeachment. 

When contacted, Speaker Diah confirmed the development saying the plot to get him and other principal officers out of their positions is real, adding however that majority of the lawmakers are people of proven integrity and would resist any offer to sign the impeachment paper. 

However, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on media, Mr. Bala Dan Abu said he was not aware of the impeachment move, adding that even if there was any such move, Governor Ishaku is not and cannot be a party to it.