NFF Denies Plot to Remove Bankole

Written by This Day Monday, 26 April 2010

After about a week of outright silence or at best half-hearted denialby some of its unauthorized members, a nascent group in the House ofRepresen-tatives, the Nigeria First Forum (NFF), has at last officially dissociated itself from reports linking it with a purported impeachment move against the Speaker of the House, Hon Dimeji Bankoleand some top officials of the legislative house.

It also denied harbouring any agenda of impeaching President UmaruMusa Yar'Adua who is now indisposed.
In a press statement signed by its Chairmaan, Hon. Abba Anas Adamu andSecretary, Hon Ishaku Joshua Sharah and made available to THISDAY last night, the NFF denied that its leadership and membersever agreed "to collectively pursue the impeachment or change ofleadership in the House of Representatives as speculated".

Shortly before the House resumed from its three-weeks Easter recess,the news media were awsh with reports of a plot to commenceimpeachment procedure against Bankole as soon as the House reconvens. The NFF was specifically mentioned as the arrow head of theimpeachment plot.

However, when the House resumed plenary last Tuesday, there was no indication of any clandenstine plot, as the day's business went on smoothly even in the absence of the Speaker who was among scores of Nigerians stranded in Europe as a result of  ash - induced flightd isruptions.

The NFF said, "the stories are not only false and misleading but also calculated to blackmail the group which was existing to pursue laudable national objectives devoid of primordial sentiments". The group was formed in the heat of the constitutional crisis foistedon the nation by the prolonged absence of President Umaru Yar’Adua from the country without formally informing the National Assembly ofhis medical trip to Saudi Arabia. It spearheaded the passage of thehistoric February 9 Resolution in the House just as the NationalInterest Group (NIG) did the same in the Senate.

The Resolutionformally invested the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan with fullexecutive and presidential powers.Apparently referring to insinuations that because of its pro-Jonathanstance was equally planning to impeach Yar'Adua who is stillindisposed since he returned from Saudi Arabia on February 24, toenable Jonathan become substantive President, the group said, "thereis also no agenda of impeaching President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua GCFR whois now indisposed nor to call for invocation of section 144", adding,"the NFF wishes Mr. President speedy recovery".It said while the President is still ill, it will mobilize its membersto support the policies and actions of  Acting President Jonathan "inthe national interest pursuant to the constitution of the FederalRepublic of Nigeria".While restating its commitment to its objectives of "providing andcanvassing support for actions and decision of the Acting President inthe National Interest during these trying times", the group urged itsmembers and all Nigerians to eschew sentiments and bigotry in handlingand discussing national issues.