Jonathan moves to stop impeachment plot

The Presidency and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party have
adopted subtle ways to tackle the impeachment threats against
President Goodluck Jonathan,SUNDAY PUNCHhas learnt.
This is coming after some members of the two chambers of the National
Assembly have reportedly been collating signatures to impeach the
President.
A top Presidency source who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent
on Friday that Presdent Jonathan had started intervening in states
where there were rifts among the major gladiators, especially state
governors and their National Assembly members over party tickets.
The government official said the idea behind that move was that any
lawmaker who was on the same page with the President and his or her
governor would not be part of the impeachment move. He cited the
example of the President's intervention in the crisis in Cross River
and Ondo states during the week.
The source said, "That you have not seen the President meeting PDP
lawmakers since the impeachment moves started does not mean he is not
doing anything about the development. We are adopting subtle
strategies of resolving crisis in the states which will lead to
further harmonious relationship with the Presidency.
"For instance, it will interest you to know that the President, the
PDP national chairman, President of the Senate, Governor Lyel Imoke of
Cross Rivers State; his predecessor, Donald Duke and Senator Victor
Ndoma-Egba met recently. That meeting was two-pronged: to resolve the
crisis in the state chapter of the PDP and again stem the tide of
impeachment.
"Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State also met with the President
and stakeholders from his state chapter on Thursday. Governor Isa
Yuguda of Bauchi also met with the President.
"All the meetings were aimed at resolving all crises and ensure that
the party enters the election year united in all the states."
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr.
Doyin Okupe, had in a statement on the impeachment moves on Wednesday
expressed the hope that all political matters would be resolved in the
interest of democracy.
Okupe had told Senators behind the reported impeachment that there
were issues of national importance that needed their attention other
than moving against the President.
Meanwhile, members of minority political parties in the Senate on
Friday dissociated themselves from the ongoing plans by some senators
to move an impeachment motion against President Jonathan on December
16.
Senators on the platform of the Social Democratic Party and Accord
Party, who spoke to our correspondent in Abuja, stated that they had
not been contacted by the arrowheads of the plot and that they were
ignorant of the phenomenon.
The only senator on the platform of the All Progressives Grand
Alliance, Senator Chris Anyanwu, and the three Labour Party senators,
Messrs Boluwaji Kunlere, Ayo Akinyelure (Ondo) and Joshua Dariye
(Plateau), have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party.
Speaking with our correspondent on the issue, Senators Olugbenga
Obadara and Adegbenga Kaka, both of the Social Democratic Party from
Ogun State, said they were not part of the impeachment moves, as
nobody had informed them of the issue.
Kaka, who is the leader of the SDP caucus in the National Assembly,
said, "Our party is not involved in the impeachment move against the
President. What we are concerned about is to win the forthcoming
general elections at all levels and ensure that leaders who will
implement the SDP manifestos in the best interest of Nigerians emerge.
"As I am talking to you, nobody has spoken to me on the issue of
impeachment. I am not part of it and I am sure none of my colleagues
would want to be part of it. We would only be part of anything after
due consultations with our constituencies"
Also, the only Accord Party member in the upper chamber, Senator
Olufemi Lanlehin, told our correspondent that he was not involved in
the impeachment plot against Jonathan.
Similarly, Senators Ayogu Eze (PDP Enugu North) again, dismissed the
threats by the anti-Jonathan senators to make the impeachment moves on
the floor of the Senate on December 16.

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