Members of the minority caucus in the Senate and the House of Representatives have given conditions under which they would backdown on the current impeachment move on President Muhammadu Buhari.
Key among the conditions is evidence that the president has tackled the frightening dimension of insecurity in the country.
The minority lawmakers had during a press briefing held at the National Assembly before proceeding on a two-month annual recess threatened to commence the process of impeachment at the expiration of six weeks ultimatum, if President Buhari fails to address the insecurity challenges.
They dismissed a report alleging that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had successfully pacified the minority caucus to suspend the impeachment move. The lawmakers said they had set the machinery in motion to ascertain the level at which the president has addressed the insecurity challenges.
Speaking, Honourable Ifeanyi Momah said: “The man needs to go for the good of Nigerians; after all he said he’s tired. The cumbersomeness of the process of impeachment is nothing once we put pressure on the leadership of the House, the needful will be done.
“The cumbersomeness of removing the President and the cumbersomeness of the leadership of the House, which do you think will be easier for the House?
“My point is if the House knows that their own leadership is in jeopardy, they will rather work and let the executive go.”
He, however, noted that the House leadership could not be removed as a result of the ongoing agitation: “You don’t rob Peter to pay Paul. In fact, the leadership of both the House and the Senate had done well in the sense that every money bill, executive bills and every request brought in by the President has been treated in the most expeditious manner – in a manner the House has not even handled its own affairs.
“So, the executive led by the President has no reason for any malfeasance which we are seeing now. Nobody is talking about the leadership of the House nor the leadership of the Senate. Whosoever that has reservation about it, is subjective.
“What we are talking about now, is the president. We want to help him by giving him soft-landing. He has already said he is tired, so let us help him out. We are not even impeaching him, we are just trying to follow his statement that he has made that he’s tired.”
Reacting to a report that the APC leadership had reached out to the Minority caucus with a view to jettisoning the impeachment move, Momah argued: “Some APC members are as aggrieved as PDP members. Let me tell you, nobody is talking about party leaning now.
“What we are talking about is the constitutional provision which say that the primary responsibility of the government, section 4 of 1999 Constitution is security of lives and property. So, how do you harmonise it that a president has even been threatened by charlatans, by bandits? They are threatening a president.
On his part, Senator Danladi Sankara (APC-Jigawa North West) who dissociated himself from the plot by some senators to remove the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan to pave way for eventual impeachment proceedings by the Senate against President Buhari, refuted trending claims linking him to the move.
He said at no time was he consulted or co-opted into such a plan by the 11 other senators alleged to be the mastermind of the plot.
He said: “it is very important for leaders to explore workable methods to address the issue of insecurity. It is not proper for lawmakers to further heat up the polity when we should put heads together to explore workable solutions to the issues of the economy and insecurity.
Speaking with Nigerian Tribune, the immediate past Chairman, House Committee on Public Petitions, Honourable Uzoma Nkem-Abonta reaffirmed the position of the minority caucus on the planned impeachment.
“I do not think the notice has expired, even though most people think it may be an exercise in futility considering the timing. Some are asking why was it not initiated long before this time you brought the matter now that election is close.
“Some think it will cause problem and truncate the elections, is it not better to wait and take him out through ballot
“But some think, yes, the insecurity is getting much that action should be taken. I think in the wisdom of those who muted it they said six weeks, so why can’t those who are speculating wait till it expires, wait and see if he (Buhari) offers solution or not, then they can so speculate.”
On the cumbersomeness of the impeachment process of the president, he opined that the drafters of the 1999 constitution was to avoid unnecessary distraction.
On whether the 9th Assembly has the political will to address the issue of insecurity with the composition of the National Assembly consisting of larger seats in both chambers, he said: “When we are talking about will, people should see and do what is right than partisan politics.”
“Has he (Buhari) committed impeachable offences or has he shown inability, inefficiency as prescribed by the Constitution to justify that? The people know the answer. The answer is known to everybody. Do you think APC will see the answer as others are seeing it? That is the political will.”
While responding to question on the political-will of the Parliament, Hon. Uzoma-Abonta said: “I know that the Minority Caucus haven issue that, must have gone ahead to do the necessary thing. Recall that he (Buhari) was also asked to show commitment and stop the insecurity or they will do that. I will now ask, has he shown any commitment or has he started anything by way of addressing that?
“So, I will also think that upon the expiration of that time, they may demand to know whether what he has done is sufficient steps to curbing insecurity.”
On the timeline given which falls within the recess, he said: “the recess is in September, if you look at the expiration given the six weeks will fall slightly within the recess but all things being equal the Parliament will resume by September.”
He said: “Me as Uzoma-Abonta thinks that we should concentrate on using legislative mechanisms to see how we can control the mess in the economic sector and while we also press for a better security outfit. Our security architecture is proving not to be working and severally we have said do this and that.
“The area I will want to concentrate on as a person is to provide him with a new security architecture. We must ask him to do this or we override it. We have voted more money – N900 billion. Therefore, we should attach new security architecture to the funding and say this is what we demand of you,” Hon. Uzoma-Abonta said.
Meanwhile, another lawmaker from the South West who spoke under condition of anonymity affirmed that “There was a meeting between the Minority Caucus of the House and that of the Senate even though I wasn’t in town. But when I got the notice of the meeting and I knew that there was a discussion held like that at that meeting.”