Impeachment: National Assembly to Take Over Kogi Assembly

There were indications on Thursday that the House of Representatives might invoke constitutional provisions to take over the Kogi State House of Assembly, owing to the brewing crisis in the state assembly.

Investigations showed that both the majority APC and the opposition PDP caucuses in the House of Reps began discussions on Thursday on how to prevent a possible breach of peace in Kogi State.

Tension had mounted in the state since Monday after five out of the 20 members of the House announced the ‘impeachment’ of the Speaker, Momoh Jimoh-Lawal, illegally.

The five also sacked the Deputy Speaker, Alih Ajuh, and the Majority Leader, Kolawole Matthew.

But on Wednesday, Jimoh-Lawal and 14 of his colleagues protested the “illegality” of the impeachment by filing a petition at the House of Representatives in Abuja.

The petition was submitted to the Majority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, for transmission to the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara.

Findings indicated that the petition would be formally laid before the House on Tuesday next week.

“What the House is going to do is to prevent a possible breach of law and order in Kogi State. From what we have heard, the crisis will deepen and the House has a responsibility to invoke our laws to contain the situation before it gets out of hands,” a senior NASS official told Punch on Thursday.

Meanwhile, 14 out of 20 members of Kogi House of Assembly have summoned Governor Yahaya Bello to appear before the House.

The 14 members are loyal to the "impeached" Speaker, Rt. Hon. Momoh Lawal.

The governor is to explain reasons why he sent permanent secretaries, directors, accountants, cashiers of parastatals, agencies, ministries and council areas on compulsory leaves, without consultations.