When Yasukazu YASUBA, Okura Taijo (senior secretary of the Minister of the Treasury) who was recommended by Saigo, voiced his opinioin that Okuma should be impeached, Okuma and his supporters, including Shimpei ETO and Shojiro GOTO, uniformily opposed the move.
しかし、西郷によって推挙された大蔵大丞・安場保和が大隈弾劾の意見書を提出したために大隈やこれを支持する江藤新平・後藤象二郎らが結束してこれに対抗した。