Bayelsa is a mess. Some locals, under the “Indigenes Without Borders Foundation” banner, are calling foul on the move to impeach the Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrujakpo. It’s being seen as payback for refusing to jump ship from the PDP to the APC.
The back story? Governor Diri defected to the APC last month, expecting everyone to follow. Ewhrujakpo didn’t. Big mistake, apparently.
Patrick Michael, a trustee with the Foundation, blasted the impeachment notice’s delivery. Served via newspaper after the Governor’s defection? Seriously? That smells bad. The NGO insists they won’t watch Ewhrujakpo get railroaded.
The impeachment notice itself? Dated October 15th, signed by 14 Assembly members. The charges? “Gross misconduct,” shirking duties, and… wait for it… failing to denounce his PDP membership at some meeting. They’re saying this warrants investigation and possible removal, citing the constitution.
The notice basically accuses him of conduct unbecoming. “There is a notice of allegation against you of gross misconduct.” Seriously, is that the best they could come up with?
Key figures signing the notice? You know, the usual suspects – Ingobere (the Speaker), Daniel, Porri, Mitin, and a bunch more.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has gotten involved. They’ve ordered the Assembly and others to explain why they shouldn’t be blocked from impeaching the Deputy Governor. Justice Nwite issued the order after a motion filed by Ewhrujakpo.
Ewhrujakpo’s move? Aimed to stop the impeachment based on his refusal to switch parties. He wants the court to prevent them from even starting impeachment proceedings. He wants his security detail protected too. The court granted a show cause order.
The court put a hold on things until November 13th. Right now, complete silence from the Deputy Governor and his people. Not a peep.
This whole thing screams political infighting, intensified by the Governor’s party switch. It’s Bayelsa politics at its finest, which is to say, pretty damn ugly. It’s a power grab disguised as righteous indignation. We’ve seen this show before.
