Fresh trouble may be brewing in Kogi State due to a move to impeach the Governor, Usman Ododo.
This is as a human rights lawyer, Deji Ajare, has urged the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Umar Yusuf, to begin impeachment proceedings against Governor Ododo over allegations of misconduct and abuse of office.
Ajare conveyed his call in a letter addressed to the speaker, submitted through the clerk of the House on Friday.
Regarding the governor’s use of his motorcade to transport the embattled former governor, Yahaya Bello, Ajare deemed it harboring a fugitive, obstructing justice, and misusing state resources.
“In the light of the above allegations and the inherent potential breaches of statutory duties imposed by the Constitution and other relevant laws of our country, these actions, if proven true, amount to gross misconduct and warrant immediate investigation and commencement of impeachment proceedings.
“I hereby call on the Kogi State House of Assembly under your leadership to initiate a thorough inquiry into these allegations by Section 188 of the Nigerian Constitution, to ascertain the truth and to hold Governor Usman Ododo accountable if the allegations are found to be true.
“I also urge the Kogi State House of Assembly to cooperate with national law enforcement agencies, including the EFCC, to ensure all individuals involved are available for questioning and to facilitate a smooth investigation”, he said.
Ajare implored swift and decisive action from the House of Assembly, emphasizing the detrimental effects of the alleged misgovernance on the people of the state.
Responding, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Mohammed Yabagi, stated that neither the Clerk nor the Speaker had received such a letter.
Yabagi added that the House had not seen valid reasons to initiate impeachment processes against the governor, asserting that there was no evidence of the governor preventing security agencies from arresting Yahaya Bello.
“As far as the Assembly is concerned, the Assembly supports all constitutionally recognized security agencies. We have not seen any reason why the House should commence any impeachment processes,” he said.
