There was palpable tension in Minna, the capital of Niger State, yesterday over fears of impending impeachment of the state’s deputy governor, Alhaji Ahmed Musa Ibeto, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Hitherto there was the news of a planned protest by loyalists and supporters of the embattled deputy governor at the state’s House of Assembly at the weekend over news of an impending impeachment.

The unstable state led to the deployment of armed policemen in the state, who took over the premises of Niger State House of Assembly as well as blocking the Paiko Expressroad leading to the state assembly.

It was learnt that the ruling PDP in the state may file a motion for the impeachment of the deputy governor in the House of Assembly. This was expected to be a follow-up to the exclusion of the deputy governor from the state’s Executive Council meetings last week.

And as part of the doses of the defection saga, two legislators of the House of Assembly who also defected like the deputy governor to the APC were last week expelled from the Assembly.

Sources said the deputy governor’s impeachment was expected to follow the line of the sacked lawmakers as he had also been excluded from attending the cabinet meetings.

But sources close to the Assembly indicated that deployment of policemen to the House was to forestall the two legislators whose seats were declared vacant from gaining entrance into the Assembly.

The Clerk of the House of Assembly, Abdullahi Kagara, debunked news of any move to impeach the deputy governor. He added that no such procedure towards any impeachment had been taken.

According to him, there are procedures to be followed before an impeachment can be carried out, stressing that the state’s House of Assembly was not aware of any of such procedure being undertaken.

He, however, could not give any explanation on the heavy presence of policemen in the Assembly.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ibrahim Gambari, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said the deployment of police to the House of Assembly was based on intelligence report and added that it was normal to dispatch police to flash areas.

He stated that the police were only being proactive to prevent a breakdown of law and order in the state.

•Adapted from a Newswatch Times report. Photo shows Ibeto.