The House of Representatives on Tuesday summoned the Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello, over the festering leadership crisis in the state House of Assembly.

It accused the governor of encouraging five out of the 25-member legislature to continue sitting, defying a resolution of the National Assembly in which it assumed control of the state assembly.

The group of five recently passed the 2016 Appropriation Bill of the state and also approved the nominees for commissioners and special advisers for Bello “illegally.”

The governor is to appear along with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, before a panel constituted by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara.

The panel is chaired by the Leader of the House, and member of the All Progressives Congress from Lagos State, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila.

Buratai was dragged into the matter following reports that Bello allegedly secured the services of soldiers to give protection to five members to continue to sit and make laws for the state.

Lawmakers also pointed out that an Abuja Federal High Court on May 19, “nullified the purported” impeachment of the Speaker of the House, Mr. Momoh Jimoh-Lawal.

Jimoh-Lawal’s impeachment had triggered the crisis, which had seen the National Assembly jointly passing a resolution in March to assume control of the state assembly in compliance with Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution ( as amended).

Tuesday’s decision of the House to summon Bello and Buratai came after a motion of urgent national importance moved by a member from Enugu State, Mr. Chukwuemeka Ujam.

It was a session where angry Reps also threatened to initiate impeachment proceedings against Bello.

One angry member from Gombe State, Mr. Ali Isa, argued, “We can begin a process to impeach the governor. Before law as it stands today, the National Assembly is the legislative House of Kogi State.”

Ujam mentioned instances of what he termed, “illegality and impunity” in the state beginning from May 31.

He stated that on May 31, masked armed men reportedly invaded the legislative quarters in Lokoja, “shooting into the air and causing pandemonium in an attempt to either assassinate the G-15 members of the Kogi State House of Assembly or intimidate them from carrying out their legislative functions.”

Ujam added, “The House is aware that the armed military men were alleged to be officers of the Nigerian Army led by one Captain Usman from Nigerian Army Records, Lokoja in company with the Chief Security Detail and escorts of the governor.

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