By Ahmed Tukur
Thousands of women and elders yesterday took to the streets of Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital, and other neighbouring cities to protest the purported impeachment plot against Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura.
The protesting women were drawn from CAN, FOMWAN, and National Council for Women Society (NCWS), amongst others.
The protesters, who carried placards with series of inscription such as ‘Mothers of Nasarawa state say No to impeachment, Women in Nasarawa state support Ta’al 2015, among others,’ were chanting abuses on members of the House of Assembly.
But the state chairman of the Nasarawa Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Yunana Illiya, said the assembly had the right to perform their constitutional functions.
Speaking to newsmen in Lafia, iliya said It was unfortunate that people were bringing in sentiments, adding that what the lawmakers had done “is within their constitutional right to probe the happenings in the state and if there are areas that they have discovered irregularities; they have the right to inform the governor that this is gray areas we have discovered come and clear yourselves.”
However, leader of the protesting women, Hajiya Hajara Danyaro, said the impeachment move was calculated to destabilise the state.
“We are saying no to impeachment of the people’s governor because as far as we are concerned, Al-Makura is the best governor Nasarawa has ever had,” she said.
While addressing the protesters, the wife of the governor, Hajiya Salamatu Al-Makura, implored them to remain calm, be prayerful and not to take laws into their hands.
“I would like to urge you all to intensify your prayers to God to take charge of the situation, as nothing is beyond Him to handle,” she said.
She lamented that the lawmakers ought to have consulted their constituents before taking the decision to impeach the governor.
