Confusion In Kogi As Gov Idris Rejects Assembly Speaker, Swears In Gov-Elect Instead…Chief Judge Boycotts Ceremony
Ibrahim Idris
The Kogi state capital, Lokoja was this afternoon thrown into confusion which is still raging as the sacked governor of the state defied the federal government directive that House of Assembly speakers of the five states whose governors were removed earlier today by the supreme court should take over the leadership of the affected states.
Idris Wada
In defiance of the directive and laid down constitutional principles, Governor Ibrahim Idris whose tenure would have expired by April 5, 2012, rejected the option of swearing in the state assembly speaker, Abdullahi Bello and opted to hand over to his brother in law, Capt Idris Wada who was last December declared the winner of a governorship poll in the state. The federal government directive was issued via a statement signed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Bello Adoke.
Amidst a charged atmosphere following the confusion over who to swear in between the Speaker and Wada, the state chief judge was invited to swear in the governor elect, Idris Wada and his deputy Yomi Awoniyi. However, the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Nasir Ajanah was said to have explained the position of the law to the outgoing governor but Idris insisted that, it must be Wada that must be sworn in or no other person.
The governor’s stance was said to have infuriated the Chief Judge who later left the governor’s office in annoyance.
Journalists earlier invited to cover the swearing in ceremony were kept for more than four hours waiting as there was no solution to the crisis until about 3.35 pm local time when the president of Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Shehu Ibrahim Otadoga was invited to conduct the swearing in ceremony.
The development did not also go down well with the state lawmakers who were also demanding that the Speaker be sworn in pending when Wada will assume office on April 5. The governor was said to have invited them to his office when it was obvious they were going to disrupt the ceremony, and allegedly offered them some “gifts” before they cooperated.
Kay Soyemi (Esq.)
Ex-Gov Idris needs to be arrested and prosecuted for breaking the law. Ti start with, he had an extra spell in power he was not entitled to, granted, it was not his doing, but his last blatant act of disregarding the law ought to attract the ire of the law.
But then, this is Naija, the Animal Farm, where all animals are equal but some are more equal than the others!
Abdul
I think d chief justice acted correclly. the speaker and not the gov in waiting should be sworn-in. Gov Idris is being arrogant for going ahead to swear in his brother.