The inability of Buhari’s administration to address the the continued insecurity challenges in the country with kidnapping, massive killing and wanton destruction of property across the country, Senators have begun Impeachment move on President Muhammadu Buhari, giving him six week ultimatum to nip in the bud, the problem or face Impeachment from office. Opposition senators across party lines who are not happy with the increasing situation, protested against what they described as endless killings in Nigeria, angrily stormed out of plenary, chanting “we are tired, Nigerians are being killed every day, Buhari must go and the Senate President , Ahmad Lawan should follow as far as worsening security situation in Nigeria is not stopped.”
The Senators are of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP. Trouble started when the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Philip Aduda, who had earlier come up through a motion of impeachment of President Buhari following his failure in solving the security problems in the country was stopped by the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan. Aduda raised a point of order for the Senate to deliberate on issues raised at the closed door session which lasted for two solid hours. Lawan had after the closed door session, announced that issues relating to smooth running of Senate and unity in Nigeria were deliberated upon, but instructed the leader of the Senate to proceed with items listed on the order paper. Not happy with the development, the Senate Minority leader then raised a point of order, calling for deliberation on issues discussed at the closed door session, saying, ” Mr President, I raised this point of order to bring to the front burner , issues deliberated upon at the closed door session.
“Resolution made by all Senators at the closed door session which lasted for two hours , was to further deliberate on it in plenary and arrive at resolution to give President Muhammadu Buhari ultimatum on urgent basis to stop the worsening security situation or face impeachment.” In trying to dunce tension as opposition Senators raised their voices, the President of the Senate, quickly interrupted him by saying that his point of order falls flat on his face since he didn’t discuss it with him and thereafter instructed the leader of the Senate to proceed with items on the order paper. Following the action of Lawan, Senator Aduda led other opposition Senators to storm out of the Chamber at 1.54pm chamber chanting ” All we are saying , Buhari must go, Nigeria must survive, Ahmad Lawan should follow ….while the Senate was still in session and immediately rushed to the Press Centre to brief Journalists on their plans.
The protesting Senators including Adamu Bulkachuwa, Senator Adamu Aliero; former Senate Majority Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi; Senator Francis Alimikhena; Enyinnaya Abaribe, Ibrahim Shekarau, Francis Onyewuchi, among others after the briefing went to hearing room one for a closed door meeting. Speaking on behalf of the Senators, the Minority Leader , Philip Tanimu Aduda who noted that their anger was as a result of the refusal of the Senate President to follow resolutions taken by senators across party lines at the closed door session, said, “We went through a closed session to discuss issues as the relate to security in this country especially the happenings in Abuja and happenings all over the country. We agreed that the primary responsibility of government is the protection of lives and property of citizens and for us the minority caucus in the Senate we took into cognisance the fact the Senate had at various levels, at various times, convened various security meetings, issues were discussed and we did recommend to government various steps and measures aimed at curbing these issues on insecurity. We realise that even Abuja that we are in is longer safe.
At the closed session we agreed that we will give the president an ultimatum that failing which if he did not comply with, we move immediately to give an impeachment notice. This is what we agreed at in the closed session. So when we came out of the closed door session, we expected that the Senate President will brief the public on the issue that happened. However that did not happen. So we have come here in protest to brief you and to let you know that we are with Nigerians in this struggle. And that we are worried that no where is safe in Nigeria and as such, we have worked out of the chamber I’m protest that the security situation is deteriorating and that urgent steps need to be completely taken to ensure that these issues are curbed immediately.” On how soon will they formalise their impeachment threat, Aduda said, “we have given two months(six weeks) notice within which this security issue should be resolved and all our resolutions should also be implemented. We had passed so many resolutions and we have given all the support, all the enablement, we have given all the appropriation that they need.” In his closing remarks before the adjournment of Senate, the President of the Senate who noted that all Senators are worried and concerned about the security situation in the country, said that an emergency session may be held during the long recess if the need arises.
