Edwin Clark Raises Alarm Over Plot By Powerful Politicians To Hijack State Judiciary, Local Governments

South-South leader, Edwin Clark has advised the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, to ensure that powerful politicians do not hijack state judiciary and local governments.

He warned the Senate president that some powerful politicians have been regrouping and planning to control their various state judiciary and local governments.

The leader of the Southern and Middlebelt Leaders Forum made the allegation in a statement on Wednesday.

He urged the senate president to endeavour that he halts the hijacking of the public debates in the various state houses of assembly.

The elder statesman said the identified persons want state accounts to be removed without debate as provided for in Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution. He stressed that they have won the congresses of their political parties in their various states, and are now waiting to take over party structures through dubious means because it is the National Assembly that can amend the Constitution as provided.

Part of the statement read, “Mr. Senate President, the information floating around town is that this dangerous, anti-democratic group in the NASS is regrouping, and want to control their various State judiciary and local governments.

“They want State account to be removed without debate as provided for in Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution as quoted above; this group of persons have won the congresses of their political parties in their various States, and are now waiting to take over the party structures through dubious means because it is the NASS that can amend the Constitution as provided.

“Please this country is divided, and it is failing. This is the time for the various arms of government to perform their duties according to the law.

“The purpose of this write-up, therefore, is to kindly appeal to you not to allow this nefarious group to hi-jack the public debates in the various State Houses of Assembly, where the debates will be held having regard to the powers of the State Governors and some mischievous, ambitious and “powerful” politicians over their State Houses of Assembly.

“Everyone, in this country, is under strict compulsion to obey the Constitution. I repeat here, Section 1 (1) which says: This Constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on all authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“This includes the Supreme Court (Judiciary) the President (Executive) and the National Assembly (Legislature).”