By Ahmed Tukur
Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa state yesterday said he represented the people’s mandate and that nobody can remove him from office despite the threat of impeachment by 20 Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) lawmakers.
Addressing supporters who paid him Sallah homage in Lafia, Al-Makura said he had done nothing wrong, adding that whatever he did government was with the mandate of the electorate.
He said the era of sharing public funds among few individuals had gone finally in the state, adding that his mandate “goes beyond 20 lawmakers,” who were hell-bent on his removal from office, stressing that it would be jealously guarded by the people of the state.
He said: “I am happy with the way and manner you protected your mandate. You have shown them that no Jupiter can tamper with your mandate. All what they have talked about me is absolutely lie. I will defend myself at appropriate time. I will accountable to you not those 20 people. I will defend myself, and all my lawyers are ready to exonerate me.
“I want you to continue to live in peace and harmony with one another. I want you as well to continue giving your adequate supports to this administration, so that we will continue to give you all the dividends of democracy.”
However, there were indications that the assembly would convene an emergency sitting to deliberate on the seven-man panel set up by the Chief Judge, Justice Suleiman Dikko, last week.
Some of the lawmakers were said not to be comfortable with the list, alleging that most of them were card-carrying members of political parties.
It would be recalled that the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Musa Ahmed, on July 14, this year, directed the clerk, Ego Maikeffi, after 20 out of 24 lawmakers signed impeachment notice, to serve Al-Makura impeachment notice for alleged gross misconduct, a situation which later resulted in pockets of violent protests within and outside the state capital, before the security operatives brought the situation under control.
