8th September, 2010
President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria yesterday intervened in the crisis rocking the Ogun State House of Assembly, expressing disappointment on the incident.
The president who summoned the Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the G-15 led by the Speaker, Tunji Egbetokun and G-9 led by Emmanuel Soyemi Coker to Abuja yesterday, was said to have chided the governor and the minority lawmakers at a meeting he had with the aggrieved parties.
A source privy to the meeting revealed that Dr. Jonathan was very bitter about the kangaroo impeachment that he allegedly tonguelashed Governor Daniel and the ‘coup’ plotters who are members of the G-9 in the House.
Stalwarts of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, who were present at the meeting, also openly condemned the purported impeachment which they said had put the party and the state to shame.
The President was said to have blamed Governor Daniel for the shameful act, saying he should have averted the ‘show of shame’ as the governor and chief security officer of the state.
Daniel was, however, reported to have stated that he had no foreknowledge of the kangaroo impeachment, blaming it all on the Coker-led G-9. This was said to have shocked members of the group.
In his determination to resolve the crisis, President Jonathan was said to have rescheduled the talks with all the parties involved for later today.
As at the time of this report, indications were clear that the Presidency would order Egbetokun back to his seat after a peaceful agreement must have been reached.
Information reaching P.M.NEWS has it that members of the G-9 are already jittery about the consequence of their action, lobbying that they should not be suspended from the House at the end of the whole saga.
Daniel on his part was said to be insisting on an undertaking by G-15 as part of the peace terms, that they would not suspend the G-9 members after the issue is resolved.
The G-9 had on Monday shocked the nation when, as the minority in the State Assembly purportedly impeached the majority, creating a legislative record.
—Jide Osokoya