Niger state Governor, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu and his deputy, Alhaji Ahmed Musa Ibeto on Thursday locked horns at the state executive council meeting with Governor Aliyu threatening to deal with his deputy with security.
It was learnt that when the meeting started, Aliyu said he would not preside over a meeting where his deputy was seated since he was now in the camp of the opposition as he (the governor) does not want privilege information taken in the council to filter into the camp of the opposition.
Aliyu accused Ibeto of calling him a thief while on gubernatorial campaign of the APC while Ibeto stated that he had never called him a thief.
According to Ibeto, he left the meeting after the state governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu threatened to use security against him.
Reacting to the statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Isreal Ebije, Ibeto said he never excused himself from the meeting.
“If this statement is coming from government let me react. It is not true that I excused myself. When I received notification for the council meeting of yesterday I went as usual. But before the council started the governor in his opening remarks said that people and members of the executive council were aware that I have decamped from the PDP to APC, and that we had gone on campaign round the state.
“He said that he has the information and clips that I called him a thief and that he will not preside over the council where I am sitting.”
Ibeto said that the governor said he was no longer sure that he will not use council deliberations against the PDP government.
“I objected and explained that I have never called him a thief and that everywhere we go, people always wanted to know why I defected to APC and I have been telling them .I left PDP because of the injustice in the Party”.
The deputy governor has stated that the governor has no constitutional power to stop him from attending legitimate council meetings.
