Impeachment: Jonathan tells Fayose to resign, says time of impunity is over

Outgoing President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has told the embattled Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state to resign now or face the inevitable option of impeachment by the 19 lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Jonathan was said to have told Fayose that the time of impunity in Nigeria is over and that he (Jonathan) is committed to the rule of law. “As you can see, I am already packing my personal belongings out of the Villa, back to my Village, I cannot influence any process, we must allow the law to run its full course, we cannot continue to disrupt due process, that is not good for the country.”
According to a source, Fayose (and the Ondo state Governor, Olusegun MImiko) were deliberately absent at the post election meeting held with Jonathan in Aso Rock because of the dismal performance of the PDP in the South West despite the last-minute huge investment and the promises that the zone will be delivered to the party.
The 19 All Progressives Congress lawmakers in the Ekiti State House of Assembly have begun moves that may lead to impeachment proceedings against Governor Ayodele Fayose.
The factional Speaker of the Ekiti state House of Assembly, Dr Adewale Omirin, had last week,forwarded a notice of gross misconduct to the governor, a copy of the notice was also sent to his deputy, Dr. Olusola Eleka.
But Fayose in his characteristic manner said the APC lawmakers should stop acting like “jesters”, describing the purported impeachment notice as the “joke of the century.”
According to him, the script being acted by the APC is a failed one because no one, no matter how highly placed, will be allowed to test the will of the Ekiti people.

In the letter by the 19 lawmakers titled, “Re: Notice of Allegations of Gross Misconduct,” sent to Fayose, the APC lawmakers listed eight impeachable offences against the governor. These offences bordered on impunity, brigandage, stalking and other constitutional breaches.

 These included alleged invasion of the House of Assembly with thugs and miscreants, instigating an unconstitutional takeover of the House by seven legislators to sit in contravention of Section 96(2) of the 1999 Constitution, and prevention of the 19 APC legislators from performing their duties with the use of security agents and armed thugs.
 Other allegations listed in the notice are: sponsoring an unlawful impeachment process in the house, spending Ekiti State funds without the requisite constitutional approval in contravention of the constitution and running the government without legally constituted Executive Council in contravention of Section 192(2) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
 They also accused the governor of operating an illegal 2014 budget as well as sponsoring and instigating illegal sitting of the House in contravention of Section 96(1) of the Constitution.
It was also learnt that moves by the embattled Governor Fayose, who published some death-wish adverts against the candidacy of the President-elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, to seek a truce with Buhari has hit brick walls.
Fayose was said to have sent some emissaries through some traditional rulers in Ekiti state to help him appeal to Buhari for forgiveness, saying that his attacks on him were not personal but part of politicking.
The Supreme Court has also reserved ruling till April 14 in the appeal find by the APC in Ekiti state challenging the emergence of Fayose as governor in the June 21, governorship polls, in which the PDP won in all the 16 local governments of the state.