Barnabas Manyam/Yola
The political squabble rocking Yola North Local Government Area in Adamawa state is taking a new dimension as Governor Mohammed Jibrilla’s sinister plot to dissolve elected officials of the council has been exposed.
An impeccable source close to the Governor who pleaded anonymity revealed that, the stage managed plan has been concluded by some forces within the system to finally oust democratically elected chairman and councilors of the council.
The source explained that some top aides of the Jibrilla were behind the crisis after they failed to agree with the chairman over some issues bordering on personal interests.
“They tried other means to frustrate Chairman, Mahmoud Mamman Abba through illegal suspension, instigating councilors to impeach him, slashing of his salaries and allowances, closure of the secretariat but to no avail. All these are because Abba was solidly behind President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Now they plan to dissolve the elected officials for selfish interests which is to the detriment of our people and democratic tenets, this is first class impunity”, the source decried.
The council chairman, Abba, a member of. President Buhari camp, is facing several battles with Governor Jibrilla who belongs to the camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Commenting on the matter, councillor representing Doubeli ward of the council, Honourable Jamilu Usman, in a mobile phone interview, alleged that a plot to sack the local council using illegal Gestapo and undemocratic means. He warned that the state government had penchant for violating the law. A court of competent jurisdiction had ruled on the matter reopening the LGA but the state Government in its aggression closed the council illegally.
He wondered where the state government derived the powers to dissolve an elected local council, saying the council members would not be deterred by the plot as they would continue to be guided by the law.
“I received information that they are planning to dissolve the council. I know they are bragging that they have the power to violate the law”, he stated.
The crisis escalated after the chairman resumed from three months suspension slammed on him by Governor Muhammad Jibrilla, but his deputy, George Raphael, who served as acting chairman during the suspension refused to surrender powers to the elected executive Chairman Abba on the grounds that since the chairman had challenged his suspension in court, he should wait until the court decided.
Following claims to the chairmanship seat, the police have sealed off the local government secretariat to prevent clash between supporters of the two warring groups.
Buhari/ Osinbajo Groups in Adamawa have vowed to fight injustice being meted against an elected LGA Chairman because he has refused to support the Atiku Abubakar faction of the APC.
However, the Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Ahmad Sajoh, denied knowledge of the plans, saying the matter was never discussed at the state Executive Council.
