There was drama yesterday at the Benue state Assembly over reported plans to impeach Governor Samuel Ortom or Benue Assembly Speaker, Hon Terkimbi Ikyange.
Senator representing Benue North West, George Akume, was also alleged to have stormed the House to pacify the Assembly members to halt impeachment of the Speaker.
But Ikyange, in an interview with newsmen in his office, denied that Akume visited the Assembly as reported.
Sources from the state Assembly who pleaded anonymity told Blueprint that Akume, as early as 10 am, drove to the Assembly and held a secret meeting with the leadership of the House and his loyalists to stop the plort to impeach the Speaker.
News had earlier filtered the state that Akume, who is leader of APC in the state, had directed the Speaker to mobilise the members to effect impeachment of the governor, following perceived misunderstanding between the two Benue political big wigs.
It was further alleged that, following the directive by Akume, Governor Ortom had also in response, allegedly mobilised his supporters at the state Assembly to first impeach the Speaker before he gets to him.
The situation, we gathered resulted to serious tension at the Assembly at the sitting of yesterday and the state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, and DSS had to mobilise about 10 trucks of stern looking security men to the House to maintain peace.
Vehicles coming to the state Assembly were turned back by the security men and journalists who were in the place to cover the event were made to leave their cars around Benue Hotels, located more than half kilometre to the state Assembly.
The presence of security men however triggered more tension just as the state governor sacked the chairman of Benue state Internal Revenue Service, Mrs. Mimi Orubibi and General Manager of Urban Development Board, Mr. Richard Agwa, having also sacked some cabinet members earlier on Sunday.
The Speaker adjourned sitting to August 15, 2018.
When asked of the purported move to impeach the governor, Ikyange said, there was no iota of truth in it.
The speaker said that the process of impeaching the state executive was not a tea party but has to follow due process.
“The assembly has full respect for the governor and we are in support of him, there is nothing to suggest that the House is planning to impeach the governor,” Ikyange said.
