Kogi State House of Assembly impeach Speaker

                                    

The political crisis in Kogi state House of Assembly has taken a new dimension as Momoh Lawal, the speaker of the assembly was on Tuesday, February 16, impeached by 5 out of 25 members of the house. Umar Imam, representing Lokoja 1 constituency was elected as the new speaker.

Channels TV reports that Friday Sani who emerged as the new Majority Leader, said the speaker was impeached for not carrying other members of the House along in the affairs of the assembly. Others elected were John Abba, as Chief Whip while the position of the Deputy Speaker was left vacant. However, Lawal who addressed journalists in his house at the Assembly quarters said he remains the speaker, declaring his impeachment as null and void, The Nation reports.

Sani who spoke to journalists at the end of their closed door session said laid down procedure was followed in the process. He said the house has followed due process to remove the speaker, saying that 15 members signed the impeachment notice, while only seven was required to form quorum to remove the principal officers.

Seventeen members of the house in December 2015, voted for the impeachment of Lawal and his deputy, accusing them of incompetence and electing Godwin Osiyi from Ogori Magongo constituency as new speaker, but the installation of the duo suffered a setback.