N’Assembly Threatens Buhari over Persecution of Opponents, Insecurity, Other Issues

PDP lawmakers allegedly collate signatures to impeach president, loyalists vow to block attempt Resolutions not endorsed by APC members, says group Supporters urge Saraki to declare presidential ambition

The National Assembly yesterday threatened President Muhammadu Buhari with impeachment if he fails to take urgent steps to address the myriad of problems facing the nation.

The National Assembly, which emerged from a rare two-hour joint executive session, listed the problems to include rising unemployment, poverty, insecurity, corruption, election rigging, harassment and humiliation of perceived opponents, and violation of the rule of law.

Senate President Bukola Saraki, who read the 12-point resolution reached at the emergency session, said the meeting addressed the problems facing the nation and directed the president to tackle the problems headlong.

According to the resolution, the National Assembly will not hesitate to evoke its constitutional powers against the Executive if nothing was done to address the resolutions including the persistent harassment and humiliation of perceived enemies of the president.

On the worrisome security situation in the country, the National Assembly said the security agencies must be given marching orders by the Executive to curtail the sustained killings of Nigerians “and protect lives and properties of Nigerians as these are the primary duties of any responsible government”.

The legislature also canvassed for the cessation of systemic harassment and humiliation by the Executive of perceived political opponents, people with contrary opinions including legislators and the judiciary by the police and other security agencies.

Other resolutions of the National Assembly included: “There must be strict adherence to the rule of law and protection for all citizens by the president and his appointees.

“The president must be held accountable for the actions of his appointees and must be ready to sanction those that carry out any act which will ridicule or endanger our country and democracy.

“Government should show sincerity in the fight against corruption by not being selective and also prosecute current appointees that have cases pending against them.

“The sanctity of the National Assembly should be protected and preserved by the federal government by not interfering in its business while those who invaded the Senate to seize the mace should be prosecuted.

“National Assembly is to liaise with the international community through the IPU, APU, ECOWAS, CPA Parliament, Pan African Parliament, EU, UN, U.S. Congress and UK Parliament to secure the nation’s democracy.

“Democratic elections must be competitive and inclusive by removing the present reign of fear and intimidation particularly as we approach the forthcoming 2019 elections.

“National Assembly is to work closely with civil society organisations, trade unions and NGOs to further deepen and protect democracy.

“The president must take immediate steps to contain the growing level of unemployment and poverty in Nigeria, especially now that we have the advantage of the oil price having risen to $80 per barrel.”

The legislature also passed a vote of confidence on Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and the entire leadership of the National Assembly.

It also reaffirmed its earlier resolution of a vote of no confidence on the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, saying he “does nothing other than preside over the killing of innocent Nigerians and consistent framing of perceived political opponents of the president and outright disregard for constitutional authority”.

THISDAY further gathered that during the joint executive session, as the vote of confidence was being passed on Saraki, the lawmakers gave the Senate President a standing ovation and asked him to declare his presidential ambition.

The source revealed that the clamour by lawmakers for Saraki to contest for the presidency started when one senator stood up and said: “Enough of this harassment by the Executive.”

The senator reportedly urged Saraki to come out and contest the presidential election, saying it was no longer a matter of choice but compulsion, occasioned by the current political situation in the country.

The source said it was at this juncture that the lawmakers present gave Saraki a standing ovation and urged him to declare his interest in the presidential contest.

According to one lawmaker who preferred to remain unnamed, “The session reportedly agreed that it was high time Saraki declared his presidential interest because he is the kind of leader Nigeria needs at this crucial period.”

Also, the lawmakers saw the need for government to improve the welfare of Nigerians in view of the fact that oil prices had risen to nearly $80 per barrel.

They agreed that this was crucial especially in the build-up to the 2019 general election as a way to assuage the pains Nigerians are passing through and to avoid a backlash at the polls.

Before the joint executive session, the Senate and House at separate executive sessions met for over an hour to take positions on the state of the nation, which they eventually harmonised at the joint session later yesterday.

However, Buhari loyalists such as Senators Adamu Abdullahi (APC, Nasarawa West) and Kabiru Marafa (APC, Zamfara Central) failed to join other senators at the joint session.

While Abdullahi stormed out of the National Assembly complex, Marafa proceeded to the public hearing on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

Warning Against Impeachment

THISDAY, however, gathered that yesterday’s joint session encountered some turbulence when the issue of impeachment of the president was raised, in the event that the Executive fails to address the resolutions reached.

The president’s loyalists had frowned against any move or attempt that appeared to threaten Buhari’s stay in office.

Speaking on the development yesterday, Hon. Muhammed Gudaji Kazaure (APC, Jigawa), who heads the Justice and Fairness Group of the 8th Assembly – a group created to solely guard against threats to the president, at a press briefing after the joint session, warned: “We will not allow anybody to touch the integrity of the president and that’s the aim of this group. We have members in the Senate that are with us.”

He said though the group agreed with all other members that there had been short-comings by the present administration especially in the areas of security, harassment of the opposition and members of the legislature by the security forces, as well as the need to improve the welfare of Nigerians, the option of impeachment was a no-goarea for the group.

Kazaure also revealed that his group was aware that some members in the House, particularly those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had started to collate signatures in order to serve an impeachment notice against the president.

He pointedly called out Hon. Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) and Hon. Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta) as the leading voices for the impeachment of Buhari.

Elaborating on the resolutions reached at the joint closed-door meeting of both chambers, Kazaure said: “Today we did a joint sitting with the Senate and House of Representatives over the problems between the

Executive arm of government and the National Assembly in general.

“And we came up with between 11 to 12 resolutions which are all good as we talked about the issue of killing of innocent people in this country and concluded that it must be stopped, whichever way the service chiefs choose to end them.

“Then we took a resolution that definitely we are approaching the 2019 elections and we have to improve the welfare of Nigerians especially at this period when the price of crude oil has almost risen to $80 per barrel.

“We have to improve the welfare of citizens of this country so they can see real change before we go for the 2019 elections.

“Then we took a vote of no confidence on the Inspector General of Police (IG) because the majority of the problems – sometimes the police accuse people without proper investigation – and this will bring serious problems between both arms of government. We want the executive and legislative face-off to end.

“Then we agreed that if the government fails to address all our resolutions, we will resort to the last legislative action available.”

Kazaure, however, said his group was not in support of any attempt to remove the president, noting: “Many of us were not in support of that resolution because many of us are not in support of threatening the president.

“The president we know is a man of integrity. We know his hands are clean, but some people who surround him are the real issue. And I’m calling on the president to checkmate those persons, particularly those whom the masses are complaining about, and bring in people that will move this country forward because enough is enough.

“We don’t want a situation whereby people will create problems for the president and we will come to the House and complain about the president while the president is sometimes inside the Villa and doesn’t even know what’s going on in the country; because it is expected that they come and brief him, and some brief him wrongly, that’s the reality.

“As we are in the House, we have some members in the Senate and I’m sure we will not allow anybody to threaten the president. Nobody will impeach the president because that day will be a whole day.

“We know that no one will be bold enough to come and show us that they will be able to impeach the president in the chamber because there are no two-thirds in the House. Our group is strong enough to stop anything called impeachment.”

The lawmaker said he had never witnessed such a tense joint sitting of both chambers, where there were several contradictions in arriving at the resolutions.

He, however, pointed out that the lawmakers were all in agreement that they were uncertain of winning their elections if things continue on the current trajectory.

Group Disagrees with Resolutions

Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Support Group of the Senate and House led by Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin (APC, Kano) yesterday criticised the joint session of the National Assembly, saying it did not have the endorsement of most APC lawmakers.

In a statement signed and issued by Jibrin, the group revealed that most of the lawmakers who spoke at the meeting were members of the opposition PDP, hence the anti-administration resolutions reached at the meeting.

According to the group, “That almost all the members and senators that spoke at the executive session were of the PDP, while members of the APC declined joining the discussion to avoid a rowdy confrontation, so the entire session could easily pass for a PDP executive session.

“That it is commendable that the Speaker tactically refused to make any comment at the session even after the Senate President took time to explain the issues which are mostly personal.

“That it is disturbing and raised many questions of pre-determined intentions that a known ally of the Senate President from Kwara State, Hon Rasak Atunwa drafted what was adopted as the resolutions and without voting, which was against standard parliamentary practice.

“That most of the issues raised concerning the fight against corruption, insecurity and the rule of law have been severally discussed in the Senate and the House and various resolutions passed.

“That we commend the efforts of Mr. President in the fight against corruption, tackling of the insecurity challenges and respect for the rule of law and democratic institutions. Mr President is known for his non-interference policy.

“That every senator or member of the House who has corruption or criminal allegations against him or her should clear his or her name without dragging the entire institution of the National Assembly into the matter.

“That the National Assembly should also look inwards and address the issue of suffocating senators and members of the House with dissenting or contrary opinions through coercion or extra-legal means.

“That the PDP should recall how its members in the 7th Assembly sat comfortably in the chamber and watched a sitting Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal locked out of the National Assembly and all his security personnel withdrawn while APC members had to scale the fence to gain entrance into the National Assembly.

“That we must exercise caution at this delicate period not to overheat the polity with statements that are capable of dividing the country, embarrassing us before the watching world and creating friction between the Legislature, Executive and specifically Mr. President.

“We wish to reaffirm our support for Mr. President as he works assiduously towards dealing with the challenges of our country.”

PDP: N’Assembly Has Vindicated Us

But even as more information emerge as to what actually transpired at the joint session of the National Assembly yesterday trickle in, the PDP stated that the resolutions of the legislature against the president and his government were a vindication of its stance on the Buhari administration.

The PDP commended the members of the National Assembly for their patriotism and courage in unanimously standing up for democracy, the rule of law, national stability and cohesion at this trying time.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said that it has “consistently pointed to the misrule of the Buhari presidency, as well as the unrelenting violation of our Constitution, unprecedented Executive highhandedness, abuse of the rights of citizens and the erosion of all known democratic norms under this administration”.

It said in addition, the APC-led government has foisted a siege mentality on Nigerians as well as presidential aloofness to important issues of state, thereby resulting in the escalation of violence, killings and daily bloodletting in the country.

“From the above, it has become evident that Mr. President must be called to order through an appropriate legislative instrument. The PDP therefore calls on all democrats across the board, irrespective of party affiliations, to come together, support the National Assembly and save our democracy from the misrule of the Buhari presidency,” the main opposition party stated.