Madumere, Gidado, Abubakar as victims of intrigues
The job of a deputy a governor is, no doubt, the most frustrating for any politician given the way occupants of such positions are used and discarded by their principals. FELIX NWANERI writes on the political drama that culminated to the recent impeachment of the deputy governor of Imo State and resignation of those of Bauchi and Kano states
Section 186 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides for the office of a deputy governor for each state of the federation. The constitution in Section 187(1) particularly states: “In any election to which the foregoing provisions of this part of this chapter relate a candidate for the office of governor of a state shall not be deemed to have been validly nominated for such office unless he nominates another candidate as his associate for his running for the office of governor, who is to occupy the office of deputy governor; and that candidate shall be deemed to have been duly elected to the office of deputy governor if the candidate who nominated him is duly elected as governor in accordance with the said provisions.”
Despite this constitutional provision, the job of a deputy a governor is no doubt the most frustrating for any politician because occupants of such position are hardly celebrated. They are not only silent, but act only at the wish of their bosses, most often not according to what is prescribed for them by the constitution. In most cases, a governor only assigns some duties to his or her deputy, when he deems it fit.
This explains why deputy governors have over the years been seen by many as mere spare tires. No doubt, the under utilization of deputy governors by their principals is usually responsible for the frosty relationship between them. The consequence of this is the use of the instrumentality of states Assembly by the governors to sack their deputies at will either through impeachments or forced resignations as recently witnessed in Imo, Bauchi and Kano states. The question against this backdrop is: What makes it possible for governors to discard their deputies with ease? The answer is not farfetched. Section 188 of the constitution states how a governor or deputy governor of a state can be removed from office.
The section in sub-section 1 and 2, states: “The governor or deputy governor of a state may be removed from office in accordance with the provisions this section whenever a notice of any allegation in writing signed by not less than one-third of the members of the House of Assembly stating that the holder of such office is guilty of gross misconduct in the performance of the functions of his office, detailed particulars of which shall be specified.”
To avoid ambiguity, sub-section 11 of the section defined “gross misconduct” as “a grave violation or breach of the provisions of this constitution or a misconduct of such nature as amounts in the opinion in the House of Assembly to gross misconduct.”
It is this section of the constitution that members of the various states Assembly, which in most cases, are under the control of the governors, usually invoke any time they are directed by their pay masters to remove their deputies.
Imo: Madumere impeached over gross misconduct
Before his impeachment on July 30 by 19 out of the 27 members of the Imo State House of Assembly, Prince Eze Madumere was on the spotlight for weeks. The House had earlier received a report by a panel set up by the state Chief Judge, which indicted him of gross misconduct. But, the impeachment did not come to many as a surprise as there had been subterranean moves to sack the deputy governor after he fell out with his principal and benefactor, Governor Rochas Okorocha. Madumere’s sack was a replay of the 2013 political drama in the state, which led to the impeachment of Okorocha’s first deputy – Sir Jude Agbaso.
Agbaso was impeached after he was indicted of having demanded and received the sum of N458 million as gratification from one of the contractors in the state, Messrs JPROS International Nigeria Ltd. But, he insisted in his defence that his ordeal was political. He cited an agreement between his elder brother, Martin, and Okorocha on the 2015 governorship.
For Madumere, trouble started, when the state legislators launched impeachment proceedings against him over allegations of gross misconduct and dereliction of duty. He was also accused of absconding from his office for more than three months without permission. Furthermore, he was accused of disobedience to Governor Okorocha by refusing to carry out official duties assigned to him; refusal to attend State Executive Council meetings and refusal to hold meetings with the governor and commissioners.
It was also alleged that he was imprisoned for theft in the United States. The petition for his impeachment was submitted by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Nnanna Ozuruigbo and signed by 13 others, which the Speaker, Acho Ihim, said met and surpassed the required one-third of endorsement by lawmakers as provided in Section 188 (2) 11 of the constitution.
The House has 27 members, but four were earlier suspended for what the speaker termed “unparliamentary conduct” although they are known loyalists of the deputy governor and were opposed to his impeachment. With the coast clear, the House set up a six-man committee headed by the member representing Obowo state constituency, Kennedy Ibe, to probe the allegations and report back within seven days. Madumere, however, denied any wrongdoing to warrant his impeachment and described the allegations levelled against him as embarrassing and an old ploy of calling a dog a bad name to hang it.
He added that the most painful part of the allegation is that the two times he had to go through the pains of losing his freedom in detention were all in the course of saving Okorocha from public disgrace. There is no doubt that Madumere showed undying support for Okorocha, but the governor equally appreciated and rewarded his loyalty as well. Okorocha, on assumption of office in 2011 appointed Madumere his Chief of Staff and when Agbaso was impeached, it was Madumere that Okorocha elevated to step into his shoes. Both enjoyed a cordial working relationship and were re-elected during the 2015 elections.
But, the bubble burst, when Okorocha, rather than endorse his deputy as his successor, opted for his sonin- law and Chief of Staff, Uche Nwosu. Perhaps, Madumere stemmed his conviction of being the most suitable among members of the Okorocha political family to succeed their mentor in 2019 given his relationship with the gover-nor which spans over 20 years and is beyond politics.
But the governor may have been influenced by personal and family consideration rather than political interest in arriving at his choice of Nwosu as his successor. Though Okorocha offered Madumere a senatorial ticket, the latter turned it down and insisted that he is the best man for the Imo State top job.
Consequently, the relationship between them crumbled like a pack of cards. The latter had to pitch his political tent with a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to wrest control of the party from Okorocha during the party’s ward, local government and state congresses. The faction succeeded, but its victory was however momentary as the court cancelled the congresses, following a suit by Okorocha’s camp.
The court also ordered fresh congresses at the various levels, an order which the party’s national leadership consented to. When Okorocha regained control of the party after the fresh congresses, it became clear to many that it was time for him to pay back his traducers in their own coin and the first to be hit. In Madumere’s stead, Okorocha nominated the Head of Service, Mr. Callistus Ekenze, but an interim order by a High Court sitting Owerri, the Imo State Capital, stopped his swearing-in as the new deputy governor of the state. The court issued an interim order following a suit by Madumere challenging his impeachment.
Bauchi: Gidado resigns over waning enthusiasm
Citing waning enthusiasm, Alhaji Nuhu Gidado resigned his position as deputy governor of Bauchi State on May 23. Gidado submitted his resignation letter to Governor Mohammed Abubakar and his departure brought to three, the number of high-ranking officials that has left Abubakar’s cabinet.
T he Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Shehu Ningi, had in December 2017, resigned his position over the claim that the governor did not encourage members of his cabinet to offer advice on how to run the state, while the Special Adviser to the Governor on Investment, Samaila Sanusi, also resigned due to “unfriendly working environment.”
Gidado, whose letter of resignation was sent to the governor through the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), stated that he had earlier reiterated his commitment to serve for a single term. He wrote: “Ordinarily, I should have remained up to the end of the tenure, but with the current dampened spirit and waning zeal as it relates to my official engagements, my continued stay will not be fair and truthful to you as my brother and leader.
“In this regard, I feel sure that Your Excellency will readily recollect the most recent one-on-one discussion we had, precisely, on Thursday, April 19, 2018, in your office, where, among other issues, I expressed to you, my contemplation to ‘step aside’ if need be in order to free my conscience. I regret to say that it has become necessary to yield to that inner calling and may this development be in accordance with the blessed will and guidance of Allah.”
Despite Gidado’s reason for his resignation, those familiar with Bauchi politics said that it was beyond that as there was no doubt that he was no longer comfortable with doing nothing at the time he called it quits. Gidado was said to have fallen out with Governor Abubabkar a long time ago, but kept hanging on with hope that they will resolve their differences.
When this dream did not materialize, he was confined to only showing up at work just to spend his day reading newspapers or wait to be told what to do by the governor. But, Governor Abubakar, who maintained that there was nothing bad that transpired between him andhis former deputy, commended Gidado for the remarkable manner he resigned and expressed optimism that he (Gidado) will avail his vast wealth of experience to the state anytime he was called upon in the future. “We received the resignation of our Deputy Governor, Engr. Nuhu Gidado.
On behalf of the people of Bauchi state, I want to thank him for his meritorious service while in office.He remains vital to our administration and party. I wish him well in his future endeavours, and he can count on me for support. I am also optimistic he will avail the state his service when called upon in the future,” Abubakar said.
On why it was easy for him to accept Gidado’s resignation if there was no rift between them, he said: “The word resignation connotes a will on the part of the person who has offered. He offered his letter willingly and there is no way you can force him to accept an employment when the time has come for him to look elsewhere. We had the most fantastic working relationship. In his words and you can ask him, he has said several times that he is the most pampered deputy governor in Nigeria.” The governor also dismissed the insinuation that Gidado resigned because he was not treated as part of the government.
”Go to the House of Assembly and check, I went on official leave twice since I took over and each time I transmitted a letter to the House of Assembly making him the acting governor of Bauchi. Moreover, I have him in the most important ministry, the Ministry of Education, where I have been allocating the largest share of the budget of Bauchi State since 2008,” he said. To fill the vacant position, Governor Abubakar nominated his Chief of Staff, Audu Sule, who was immediately screened and cleared by the state Assembly, and has been inaugurated.
Kano: Abubakar resigns over irreconcilable differences
Like the Bauchi situation, the deputy governor of Kano State, Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, also resigned his position due to irreconcilable differences. The Professor of Nutrition, who was coordinator of Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nation food intervention programmes in Nigeria before he became deputy to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje in 2015, resigned his position on August 5.
A close political associate of former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, Prof. Abubakar said he resigned his position due to “irreconcilable differences on matters relating to governance and government operations, personal opinion and respect for democratic ideals and values.”
He added that it would be unfair to his conscience and to the people of Kano to remain in his position as deputy governor of the state. His letter of resignation read in part: “Your Excellency would recall several instances I had to draw your attention on the need to understand and appreciate these differences in order to avoid drifting into the kind of unnecessary crisis we are facing today, but to no avail. Instead of heeding to my counsel to save the government from the present state of crises, your reaction was and still is, to prosecute and met all sort of injustices on me.
“I have endured immeasurable and unjustifiable humiliation for over two and half years without any reason other than my principled position on issues of governance and the desire to keep government on track. Under circumstances, and given the deteriorating state of affairs and your continued disrespect for the office of the deputy governor as well as your expression of several injustices on my person, I regret to say that I have no option than to succumb to my inner calling with the hope that this decision is in accordance with the guidance and wishes of Allah (SWT) for me and good people of Kano State.”
While the former deputy had since dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) on which he served for the Peoples Democratic Party PDP), which may field him against his former principal in the forthcoming general elections, Governor Ganduje, in his reaction said Prof. Abubakar took the step to avoid being removed from office.
In a statement by his Commissioner for Information, Muhammad Garba, the governor said Abubakar, having realised that 30 out of the 40 members of the state House of Assembly have signed to commence his removal threw in the towel. The commissioner said the former deputy governor was to be removed for his false and unfounded allegations as well as undermining the state government as well as making unguarded comments capable of causing disaffection particularly in the APC and the state in general.
The statement also debunked allegations over threat to Prof. Abubakar’s life and that of members of his immediate family which it described as unbecoming, considering his position as a former deputy governor with a provision for statutory security detail. On nonpayment of allowances, the state government said in one year alone, the former deputy governor was paid over N120 million.
“Based on available records, in 2017 alone, the sum of over N120 million was paid to him as travelling allowance both within and outside the country, while in 2018, over N30 million was paid to him for various travelling allowances. Of recent, in July, to be precise, the sum of N7.4 million was released to the former deputy governor to travel to the United Kingdom to receive an Honourary Degree from the University of Reading; the sum of N7.8 million was also paid as his travelling allowance to Khartoum, Sudan for the convocation ceremony of the University of Africa; for a trip to the United Kingdom for the World Education Forum, the sum of N8.5 million was paid to him; while his trip to Saudi Arabia for his daughters’ graduation was also sponsored by the state government, among other privileges extended to him,” the statement said. Ganduje therefore challenged the former deputy governor to show proof on allegations that the state government had committed resources to sponsor rally in support of his removal from office, adding that the gravity of the allegation may prompt the government to take appropriate action.
“The former deputy governor ought to have landed safely and quietly instead of making unsubstantiated allegations just to draw attention,” he said.
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