Daji Sani in Yola Jaiyeola Andrews
Security agencies may go after some national leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC) over their allegations that bribes were offered to the members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly to impeach former Governor Murtala Nyako.
A top government official who spoke to selected journalists yesterday in Abuja on condition of anonymity, said except the leaders of APC desist from pointing accusing fingers at President Goodluck Jonathan as being behind Nyako’s travail, security agencies might go after them to explain their roles in an alleged bribery attempt to the lawmakers to stave off the impeachment.
The top government official told journalists that both the government and security agencies were in possession of information linking the APC leaders to the alleged criminal act.
According to him, intelligence report indicated that an APC governor from the North and one from the South, made inducement offer of N250million each to the Adamawa State lawmakers to jettison the impeachment move against Nyako.
The official said of the 25 lawmakers, five were on Nyako’s side and two were not present during the impeachment move.
He said the two APC governors had succeeded in buying one of the lawmakers over, and attempted to do more with a view to ensuring the depletion of quorum needed to impeach the governor.
He, however, stressed that realising that their plot was falling through, the governors resorted to threatening the adamant lawmakers.
“It was the assurance they got from the lawmaker that more members would be bought over that gave birth to the reports that Nyako might resign.
“When it was clear to them that the money might not do the magic, they resorted to threats.
“They threatened some of the lawmakers that they would be killed if they did not collect the money and stop the impeachment process.
“What they didn’t know is that all these were recorded. If they continue with these their unfounded allegations against the president, the security agencies would be directed to arrest and confront them with overwhelming evidence,” the government official added.
Nyako, has vowed not to withdraw his controversial memo to the Northern Governors’ Forum even on his death bed.
This was disclosed by his former spokesman, Ahmed Sajoh, in Yola, following the speculation that the former governor might be arrested and charged for treason or felony.
Nyako had in his memo accused the President Jonathan administration of genocide against the North.
He stated that the memo had the full knowledge of those behind the wanton killings of innocent citizens but attributed same to Boko Haram insurgents.
Sajoh stressed that the information at their disposal had now confirmed that the presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were behind Nyako’s impeachment.
The former governor said the administration was determined to create a strife between Muslims and Christians in the North or between one ethnic group and another. The governor’s aide said Nyako made the allegations based on the information available to him as a retired Admiral in the Nigerian Navy.
According to him, before writing the memo, the governor considered all options.
On whether the governor would withdraw the statement now that he had been impeached, Sajoh said: “That is something that is not possible. We believe that based on the information available to him as a retired Admiral in the Nigerian Navy; having a very sound military background, having had the privilege of setting up the intelligence unit of the Nigerian Navy and being a person who knows exactly what security issues are, he weighed all the options before making that statement. And I can tell you that even on his death bed, he stands by that statement.”
However, on the u-turn made by Nyako recently exonerated the president on his impeachment by the state House of Assembly and blaming “some senior citizens” of the state based in Abuja for the political imbroglio bedeviling the state, he said: “We know that Adamawa State is full of intellectuals, when issues arise, we use different approaches to address them. That is the cause of the political differences we have, but not much outside interference.”
Sajoh, however, said subsequent information available to the governor showed that the PDP and the presidency were involved in the impeachment.
He stated: “Actions that were taken by the presidency and the PDP national headquarters and other persons very close to the president must definitely make anyone change his position with regard to whether the presidency was involved or not.
“But of course, at the time he made the statement, he made it believing that it was an the state internal affair.
“With the turn of events and the things that happened at the time of the impeachment till date, one will not say the same thing today.”
The governor also said despite his removal, he had no regrets for decisions he took while in office.
“The former governor took whatever decision he took believing that the bases upon which such decisions were taken were right. He took rational decisions and as a human being, barring the limits of his mortality, he has no regrets whatsoever.”
The media aide said the governor’s conscience was clear because the bases on which the decisions were taken were right.
“As a retired officer and a gentleman and as a credible person, he has no regret dumping the PDP and he has no intention of returning to the party,” Sajoh added.