Defection: Niger gov throws out deputy out of council meeting

GOVERNOR Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has ordered his deputy, Alhaji
Ahmed Ibeto, to stop attending the state executive council meetings
following his defection from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to
the All Progressives Congress.
The governor also alleged that Ibeto called him a thief during one of
his campaigns.
Our correspondent learnt that the governor in his opening remark
before the commencement of the regular weekly state executive council
meeting on Wednesday at Government House Minna, said he would not
chair a meeting where the deputy was seated.
He thereafter asked the deputy governor to leave the council chambers
because he (Ibeto) could use information gathered at such meetings
against the PDP.
The deputy governor hurriedly left for his office and parked his
valuables after Aliyu allegedly threatened to use the security agents
against him.
But a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor,
Israel Ebije, on Thursday said that the deputy governor was not chased
out of the meeting.
Ebije said the deputy governor had sought a permission to stay away
from the state executive council meetings and this was granted.
He added that apart from the permission granted, the state government
also told him that he (the deputy governor) would still be enjoying
all the benefits of the office.
Ebire said, "The Deputy Governor, Ahmed Musa Ibeto, asked the council
to excuse him from the Wednesday meeting when issues concerning the
general elections were being presented. He is now in the opposition
and the right thing to do, on moral grounds, was to leave the meeting.
"The deputy governor is smart enough to realise that he cannot sit in
council and listen to the political strategies of the PDP or be seen
either as a mole for the APC or as an unnecessary distraction. It is
clear he cannot operate within the reasoning of the PDP-led council
hence he had to take the most honourable decision."
However, the deputy governor described the statement as total
falsehood. He said Ebije's explanation did not represent the true
picture of what transpired at the council.
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Ibeto said "If this statement is coming from the government, let me
react. It is not true that I excused myself. When I received
notification for the council meeting of yesterday (Wednesday) I went
as usual.
"But before the council started, the governor in his opening remarks
said that people and members of the executive council were aware that
I have defected from the PDP to the APC and that we had gone on
campaign round the state. He said that he had the information and
clips that I called him a thief and that he would not preside over the
council where I am sitting."
Ibeto said that the governor said he was no longer sure that he
(Ibeto) would not use council deliberations against the PDP
government.
"I objected and explained that I have never called him a thief and
that everywhere we go, people always wanted to know why I defected to
the APC and I have been telling them I left the PDP because of the
injustice in the party," he said.
The deputy governor said that although he quietly left the meeting as
a law abiding citizen after the governor had threatened to use the
security against him, he was studying the relevant provisions of the
constitution to know his next line of action.
Ibeto added, "I will challenge the governor's undemocratic action in
court appropriately."
He said that the governor had no constitutional power to stop him from
attending legitimate council meetings. Ibeto added, "If I am stopped
from attending council meetings, whatever decisions taken at such
meetings are null and void."
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