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Impeachment Saga: I’ll Not Resign As Gov, Nyako Insists …As Adamawa Muslim Council, Others Seek Dialogue
Embattled Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako has said that he was not making any plan to resign from office despite the ongoing plot by the state House of Assembly to impeach him.
Nyako further vowed that he may seek Jonathan’s intervention in the ongoing moves by the state House of Assembly to remove him from office at the appropriate time.
According to Nyako, the president would likely wade into the matter since the state has always been there for the president.
Nyako made this disclosure at the Presidential Villa in Abuja where he attended the inauguration of the steering committee of the Safe Schools Initiative (SSI) inaugurated by the president.
Speaking with newsmen, Nyako said, “Not yet. It has not reached that crisis point. We have supported him all this time; he has supported us and in situations like these, when Mr. President’s support is required, we will seek it.”
Asked if he might likely resign, he said he was not considering that yet, even as he said his chances of surviving the ongoing impeachment proceedings in the state were bright.
“Well, it is in the court and the court said it was not well done. We are hoping that if they want to do it, they will do it following the normal process in whatever they want to do,” Nyako stated, just as he claimed that the state was calm and peaceful.
On whether some former Heads of State had spoken to the President on his behalf, the governor said, “That would be excellent”.
Asked to give insight into the root cause of the crisis, he said:” Adamawa is a very interesting place. If I tell you we have 87 ethnic groups and the two religions are fairly balanced, it means that being sensitive to each and every one of us is very important.
“It is a place of intellectualism; everybody has his own point of view and you have a group of people who share a certain point of view. And until it changes, they will maintain that point of view. But we have been peaceful somehow and we will remain peaceful”, he pledged.
Asked if he may defect back to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nyako said, “Quite frankly, you know how I joined the PDP and partisan politics in the first place. It is not really my field. My field is known. You know what I was before. We are straightforward; have two distinctions: loyalty and disloyalty; two separate pieces.
“But one of the politicians told me that there are a lot of things in between loyalty and disloyalty which up till this moment, I have not appreciated. So, for me, disloyalty with this type of attitude with Nigerian politics of today, you are likely to step on toes of a few,” he added.
The Muslim Council of Nigeria in Adamawa has called for dialogue in resolving the dispute between the state legislature and executive arms in the interest of peace, unity and development in the state.
It would be recalled that following a request by the state House of Assembly, a seven-man panel was constituted by the state Acting Chief Judge, Justice Ambrose Mammadi, to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Murtala Nyako and his Deputy, Bala Ngilari.
Speaking to newsmen on the outcome of the council’s meeting in Yola yesterday, one of the members of the council and National Chairman of Jama’atul Izalatul Bidiah Wa Iquamatus Sunna (JIBWIS), Shiekh Bala Lau, said the group was concerned about the development, and called for an amicable resolution of the matter.
“Our state is under state of emergency and this face-off between the Legislature and Executive is further heating the system and creating tension in the state.
“We are against the removal of the governor; we are against the removal of the Deputy Governor, as such action could lead to more crisis in the state,” Lau said.
He said the council had been trying to reach out to the parties concerned “to see reason and sheathe their sword, particularly at this holy Ramadan period’’.
He said if necessary, clerics and traditional rulers in the state were ready to mediate in the matter.
Lau urged the people of the state to use the Ramadan period to pray for peace in the state and the country.
Similarly, the Adamawa Traditional Council has called for dialogue in resolving the political crisis.
The council made the call in a statement at the end of its meeting in Yola yesterday.
