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Abia House ’Il decide dep. gov’s fate -- Ogbeh
JANE OSONDU,
Umuahia
NATIONAL
Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Audu Ogbeh said yesterday that
the fate of Abia State Deputy Governor, Dr. Chima Nwafor, lies with the state
legislature.
Chief Ogbeh took the position when the
National Working Committee (NWC) of the party stormed the House of Assembly for
a possible peaceful resolution of the impeachment process on the Deputy
Governor.
Led by Chief Ogbeh and the National
Secretary, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor the NWC held a three-hour closed door
meeting with PDP lawmakers at the Assembly complex.
The meeting was held under tight security
as every journalist was screened and those who had no business at the complex
were stopped from entering.
Briefing journalists at the end of the
meeting, Chief Ogbeh said the lawmakers were forthcoming which gave his team the
impression that there would be positive response eventually.
He said the objective of the visit was to
discuss with the lawmakers for peace in Abia and in the country.
Chief Ogbeh said "the meeting is good, but
the House is an autonomous institution of its own, approved and recognised in
our constitution.
"We believe that having spoken to them,
they will reflect on what we said to them and we believe at the end of the day,
there will be some positive outcome," he added.
Chief Ogbeh also said they would not
interfere in judicial matters even as a judicial panel is investigating the
allegations against Dr. Nwafor.
He, however, said the final decision on
amicable resolution of the matter is for the assembly to take.
Said he: "It is the House that will
decide. We are doing this or we are not doing that.
"You cannot question them if they decide
not to impeach. Nobody can sue them if they decide to impeach; you can’t even
take them to court.
"So the matter is with the House. Whatever
is the outcome by the judiciary."
Chief Ogbeh said the PDP leadership waited
this long before coming into the impeachment matter because it had thought the
issue would have been resolved by now.
"Politics is rather complicated. It is
very difficult matter. It draws and drags. Sometimes you can’t cut it too short
in a short space of time.
"But our coming has been useful from what
the members of the Assembly, Speaker and others have told us.
"I think perhaps there is need now more
than before the hope that the matter will be amicably resolve," he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Ogbeh has urged
Nigerians, particularly politicians, to ensure that democracy is not derailed
because of the way it is being practised in the country.
He said the way politicians are going that
people would think that Nigerians are not capable of allowing democracy to work.
Chief Ogbeh was speaking in Umuahia when
he led the party’s NWC to pay a courtesy call on Speaker of Abia House of
Assembly, Sir Stanley Ohajuruka.
He called for a change of heart among
Nigerians so that the nascent democracy is not derailed.
While urging all stakeholders to do
everything to ensure that democracy succeeds, Chief Ogbeh said nothing should be
done to cause unnecessary problem.
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