Senators and members of the house
of representatives have started collecting signatures for the impeachment of
President Muhammadu Buhari, sources revealed on Thursday.
The lawmakers, who are not happy
with the decision of the president to approve $496 million for the procurement
of 12 Super Tucano aircraft from the US without their backing, had given the
impression that the matter was being resolved.
The issue of impeachment first
arose at the house of reps on Wednesday. While deliberating on a letter Buhari
wrote to the national assembly, saying he had anticipated that the lawmakers
would approve the withdrawal, Kingsley Chinda from Rivers state, asked his
colleagues to commence impeachment proceedings against Buhari.
The president had said he took
the action because the US gave Nigeria a deadline for payment. He also sought to include the procurement of
the aircraft in the 2018 budget.
But citing sections 80 and 81 of
1999 constitution, Chinda said the Nigerian law does not recognise anticipatory
approval.
“There is nowhere in our law that
talked about anticipatory approval. We cannot sit down and allow this to take
place. It is an impeachable offence. There is no infraction that is worse than
this. Let us not continue to sleep. I propose that we commence the impeachment
of Mr President,” he had said.
However, on Thursday, some members of the lower
legislative chamber said they had decided that rather than initiate impeachment
proceedings against the president, the committee on rules and business should
look for a way to resolve the matter.
But a legislative source said that the lawmakers were only being diplomatic.
“As I speak to you, signatures
for the impeachment of Mr President are being collected in both chambers of the
national assembly,” the source said.
“The lawmakers are very angry and
are ready to nail this act once and for all. Don’t forget that this is not the
first time that the president would disregard the legislature in taking key
decisions… the matter has been referred to the committees (in both chambers)
and they will advise them on the way forward as regards the anticipatory
approval. But based on the illegality of Mr President’s action, they have
started gathering signatures for his impeachment in both chambers.
“Buhari had since September 2017
to consult with the leadership of the national assembly leadership over this
issue but he did not do so. Last year, a congress delegation met with the
leadership of the national assembly based on Trump’s request to sell the
aircraft to Nigeria but our president decided to do things his own way.”
The source said while Chinda is
among those coordinating the collection of signatures in the lower legislative
chamber, some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators are behind it at the
senate.
There was a fierce argument
between the PDP lawmakers and their All Progressives Congress (APC) colleagues
at the senate on Thursday.
Matthew Urhoghide, a PDP senator
from Edo state, and Chukwuka Utazi, a PDP lawmaker Enugu state, were among the
opposition lawmakers who pushed for the ousting of Buhari, while some of their
colleagues on the other side disagreed.
“There are serious consequences
for violation of our constitution. I want this senate to resolve that what the
president did is procedurally wrong and a violation of our constitution, it
must be condemned and of course, the consequences of section 143 of our
constitution should be invoked,” Urhoghide had said.
But Abu Ibrahim, an APC senator
from Katsina state, disagreed, describing the impeachment plot as a conspiracy
from PDP.
Ibrahim defended Buhari, saying
the president approved for the withdrawal of the money “based on national
interest”.
“This is the first time that
money drawn from excess crude account is being brought to the national assembly
(for approval). Since they began to operate this account, I have never seen any
expenditure that was brought here for approval,” the lawmaker said.
“This is a PDP conspiracy. I will
like the PDP to tell us which of their governors have taken the money released
from excess crude oil account to the state assembly for approval. If this is a
PDP conspiracy to tarnish the image of Muhammadu Buhari, they will not be able
to do it because we are coming out with figures.”
Section 143 of the 1999
constitution (as amended) deals with the removal of the president and
vice-president from office. It is a very long process, taking at least three
months to complete.
Yusuf Olaniyonu, spokesman of
Senate President Bukola Saraki and Turaki Hassan, spokesman of Yakubu Dogara,
speaker of the house of representatives, could not be reached for comments when
this report was filed. None of them responded to calls or replied the text
messages sent.
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