The Senate had, on Thursday, mandated the committee to investigate the controversial purchase of the $496m fighter jets from the United States by the President without approval of the National Assembly.
The committee will submit its report on Wednesday. The President reportedly withdrew $496m from the Excess Crude Account to pay for the aircraft without the approval of the National Assembly.
The APC lawmakers, who spoke with newsmen on Saturday, dared their PDP counterparts, saying the opposition members could not impeach Buhari even if the panel report indicts him.
Senator Mathew Uroghide (Edo, PDP) had, in a motion, on Thursday, urged Senate President Bukola Saraki to allow the Senate to invoke Section 143 of the Constitution against the President.
Section 143 of the Constitution deals with the process of the impeachment of the President and the vice-president.
Uroghide (Edo PDP), in the motion, had stated, “There are serious consequences for the violation of our Constitution. As a consequence, the only thing that we can draw from on this is that we call on you (Saraki) to invoke Section 143 of the Constitution. What it means is that this matter does not need to be investigated; it is clear that this offence has been committed by Mr. President.
“I want the Senate to resolve that what the President has done is procedurally wrong and is a violation of our Constitution. It must be condemned and, of course, the consequences that are contained in the Constitution – in Section 143 – should be invoked.”
PDP won’t get two-thirds of votes to impeach Buhari –Senator Akanbi
But Senator Adesoji Akanbi (APC Oyo) has allayed fears that Buhari would be impeached.
Akanbi, in an interview with newsmen on Saturday, said no matter the outcome of the committee’s investigation, the opposition PDP senators would not get the required two-thirds of votes to impeach the President.
He urged those calling for Buhari’s impeachment to also consider the reason cited by the President for not waiting for legislative approval before approving withdrawal and payment for the aircraft.
Akanbi, who noted that there was a constitutional breach by the President, said Nigeria would have lost the opportunity to get the military equipment if the Federal Government had missed the deadline for the payment.
He said, “Sincerely, spending money without the approval of the National Assembly may not be justifiable but we should look at the circumstances in which it was done. Is the reason given to the National Assembly genuine enough? The National Assembly has to be convinced on why that was done.
“I am sure that with the outcome of the report of the committee set up to look into it, the National Assembly will be convinced. Yes, it (purchase) breached the constitution. The transaction did not follow the normal democratic process but there was a timeline that must be met for the benefit of the country.”
Akanbi also pointed out that the state governors, which jointly own the money with the Federal Government, approved that $1bn be withdrawn and spent on security, out of which the payment for the aircraft was made.
When asked what would happen if the panel indicts Buhari, the lawmaker stated that the PDP Caucus, from which the call for impeachment came, did not have the number to execute the impeachment process.
“This is a game of numbers. Two-thirds of lawmakers will be needed. I don’t believe, with our members (APC Caucus) in the chamber, they (the PDP) will get the two-thirds,” Akanbi stated.