Kogi: PDP overrules FG, returns Wada as gov

ABUJA— Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party last night intervened in the seeming political impasse that would have broken out in Kogi State if it had carried out the Federal Governments instruction that the Speaker of the State House of Assembly take over as the acting governor following the Supreme Court’s judgment sacking the five PDP governors.

The Party last said the Speaker should revert to his position as Speaker and allow the Governor-elect of the State, Alhaji Idris Wada to take over the affairs of the State.

The leaders took the decision at a meeting held at the State House Abuja last night following the controversy that followed the Friday Supreme Court decision removing Five Governors.

The Court decision had resulted in the immediate ouster of the former Governor of the State Ibrahim Idris.

Following the decision, two different judicial officers had sworn in both the Speaker of the House and Alhaji Wada, who had emerged the winner of the recent governorship election in the state.

According to a reliable source at yesterday,s meeting, the confusion created in Kogi had led the PDP leaders to call the Speaker and the Governor elect to a meeting at State House, Abuja.

During the meeting, the leaders were said to have persuaded the Speaker to surrender the position since he would be in acting capacity.

It was learnt that the leaders had pointed out that since there was no plan to conduct fresh election in the State, the Governor-elect and his Deputy, Chief Yomi Awoniyi, should be allowed to start running their mandate.

The source further revealed that allowing the Governor-elect and His Deputy to take over would bring peace to the State.

The Speaker was said to have agreed to the decision of the party leaders.

The meeting was Presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan

Those who attended the meeting, included Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and Senator Ndoma Egba, who represented the Senate President, David Mark.

Others were Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, the National Legal Officer of the Party, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, the two contenders to the Governorship seat in Kogi, and the Deputy Governor-elect, Yomi Awoniyi and the ousted Governor of the State, Ibrahim Idris.

The Attorney General of the Federation had sequel to the ruling of the Supreme Court, directed Speakers of the five states of Kogi, Cross River, Adamawa, Bayelsa and Sokoto, which were affected by the ruling, to take over governance in the states in acting capacity in line w the Constitution.

By Rotimi Ajayi and Abayomi Adesida