Senators, reps collecting signatures to impeach Buhari — Sources

Senators and members of the house of representatives
have started collecting signatures for the impeachment of President
Muhammadu Buhari, sources told TheCable 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 told our reporter 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.

TheCable

Senators and members of the house of representatives
have started collecting signatures for the impeachment of President
Muhammadu Buhari, sources told TheCable 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 told our reporter 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.

TheCable