Members of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly have declared that the clock is ticking for the embattled Governor of the State, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-Makura. The lawmakers said they were only waiting to fulfill the constitutional requirements before impeaching him.

In an interview with Nigerian Pilot yesterday, Chairman of the House Committee on Information and Security, Mohammed Ibaku, said that the legislators were counting days for Governor Al-Makura and would soon kick him out of office over allegations of gross misconduct and abuse of office.

Hon. Ibaku explained that the House was only waiting for the expiration of the 14 days of service of the impeachment notice as required by law to direct the Chief Judge to constitute an investigative panel to probe charges levelled against the governor.

He insisted that the Assembly would not renege on its decision to impeach the governor, dismissing insinuations in some quarters that some of the lawmakers had backed out from the impeachment move.

“The constitution says a panel of investigation should be setup after 14 days of service of impeachment notice on the governor. Already six days have gone and we are counting the remaining days to take the next action,” he said.

On why the lawmakers relocated to Abuja, Hon. Ibaku said: “The constitution does not say that you must remain in your state. Everybody is aware that the House is on recess and so we have the right to stay anywhere.”

The lawmaker advised the governor to prepare his defence on the allegations as the Assembly was not under pressure from anybody to rescind its decision.

Hs words: “Let me assure those spreading the rumours that some of us have withdrawn from the impeachment saga that there is no going back on this issue. We will pursue it to a logical conclusion. What are we going to tell the people that elected us if we withdraw from performing our constitutional obligation? Were we given the mandate to allow somebody to defraud the state and remain in office?”

Meanwhile, two of the four members of the House elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Hon. Adamu Maikatako (Lafia Central) and Tanko Tungwa (Awe South), have appealed to their colleagues to sheathe their swords and embrace dialogue in resolving the dispute.

According to them, “This is not time to say the governor is right and the Assembly is wrong, neither is it time to say the Assembly is wrong or right. The most important thing at this point is to appeal for the understanding of our colleagues because nobody is perfect.”

•Adapted from a Nigerian Pilot report. Photo shows embattled Governor Al-Makura.

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