Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Terkimbi Ikyange, has dismissed reported plots to have himself and Governor Samuel Ortom impeached by the state lawmakers.
He, however, admitted that there had been little political instability in the APC.
Fielding questions from newsmen in Makurdi, shortly after the adjournment of Tuesday’s sitting, the Speaker said: “the rumours are handiwork of external influence in town which has hit up the system but there are no plot to impeach me and the governor of the state.
“Cordial relationship has existed between all arms of government since the past three years.”
Earlier, security was tightened at the premises of Benue State House of Assembly over the alleged impeachment plot.
According to Daily Trust newspaper, the development was not unconnected with rumours of bitter rivalry currently existing between the state governor, Samuel Ortom and the leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator George Akume ahead of the 2019 election.
It was gathered that Ortom and his supporters have perfected plans to defect from the APC following the party’s alleged move to deny the governor its ticket to re-contest in 2019 but Akume was said to have threatened the governor not to dare him by leaving the party on which platform he won the 2015 election for another.
It was gathered that the senator had allegedly perfected arrangement with his loyalists, one of who is the speaker of the House to impeach the governor, a development said to have irked other lawmakers in the opposition party to plot the removal of the speaker.
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