Insecurity: Senate shelves Buhari impeachment, says matter ‘would die naturally’

Plan by the lawmakers of the Upper Chamber to move for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari over worsening state of security across the country may have cooled off since the resumption of plenary, as Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, insisted, Tuesday, that ‘security has improved across the country, following a series of meetings with Security Chiefs for effective military operations.’

Senator Kalu said as Senate resumed plenary on Tuesday that insecurity which formed part of the earlier impeachment threat of President Muhammadu Buhari, had been addressed.

The Senator assured the citizenry that no lawmaker was talking about President Buhari’s impeachment. It will be recalled that last July, the Senate gave the President six weeks’ impeachment notice if he fails to address the problem of insecurity, which has since expired.

Senate reconvened plenary on Tuesday, amid fears that the impeachment threat against President Buhari would be discussed but, Senator Kalu said no lawmaker would be able to get the number for the impeachment process of President Buhari and Ahmad Lawan, who is the President of the Nigerian Senate.

“The issue of impeachment is non-existing. Nobody is talking about it. Even if they try, they will fail because we have the number to resist it.

“There is nothing wrong with a lawmaker coming up with an impeachment threat but will they succeed? No. So, as far as I am concerned, there is no discussion about President Buhari’s impeachment because security has improved.

“We have been meeting with the Service Chiefs and some of you were there and can testify that the issue of security has improved and it will keep improving,” Senator Kalu said.

The lawmaker added that even if such an issue is brought up again on the floor of the Senate, it would die naturally.

He was speaking shortly on arrival at the Senate building after two months’ recess.

Meanwhile, it would be recalled that Senator representing Cross River South in the National Assembly Gershom Bassey last month stated that the Senate remains serious about impeaching President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said the action of the Senate is aimed at making the Presidency do something about the worsening security situation in the country.

“Yes. That one is real. We are serious about that, but we will only get there if part one which is the actions against the situation in our country does not improved.

“For instance, why are there people in captivity from the Kaduna incident? Why has nobody been arrested or nobody been held accountable for what happened in Kuje prison?

“These are actions that can immediately be taken by Mr President to show that he’s in tandem with us; the number of actions that need to be taken to show that yes we are doing something about the situation and we are going to resolve this situation. That’s what we are talking about,” Senator Bassey said.

He explained that the point of their action is to ensure safety and security in our country.

He, however, added that point of the senate’s action is not impeachment, but to ensure safety and security in Nigeria.

Speaking further, he said “we have given 6-week threshold within which we want the executive, particularly Mr President, to do something about security in our country.

“Our best hope is that the president will respond to what we are saying; to what we are doing. And at the end of 6 weeks everything would have been sorted out”, he said.

It would be recalled that senators from across many party lines, in July, staged a walkout during plenary over worsening insecurity in the country.

Addressing journalists at the Senate Press Corps (SPC) Centre, immediately after the walkout, spokesperson for the senators, the Minority Leader, Senator Philip Aduda (PDP-FCT), said they have resolved to give President Buhari a six-week ultimatum within which to end the insecurity in the country or face impeachment.

The senators who reportedly walk out on plenary were heard chanting ‘Buhari must go’, as they trooped out of the senate chambers.

Co-incidentally, after thwarting the senators move to initiate impeachment proceedings against Buhari, the senate president, Lawan ruled for a seven-week recess by the Upper Chambers.

“It is obvious that Abuja, the seat of the Federal government is no longer safe, as you all can see.

“We went into a closed-door session on the state of insecurity in Abuja and took cognisance that Nigeria is no longer safe.

“Senate has recommended various measures and discovered that even Abuja is no longer safe.

“We agreed in the closed session that we will give President Muhammadu Buhari an ultimatum, but the Senate President Dr Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan didn’t want us to raise the issue.

“However, we have issued six weeks for President Buhari to resolve insecurity or be impeached.

“We walked out of Chambers in protest,” Aduda said.

According to Senator Aduda, the various recommendations by the lawmakers have been made but security challenges have not abated, which he added, now compels them commence impeachment proceedings against President Buhari now.

Aduda who represents the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said the ultimatum to Buhari was for him to resolve the heightened insecurity in the country or face impeachment.

It was learnt that at the commencement of the plenary on Tuesday, the lawmakers had questioned the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on why the issue of insecurity was not in the Order Paper.

The aggrieved senators further expressed anger that Lawan refused to abide by their resolution after reverting to plenary after the closed-door session.

They insisted they had during their closed-door session which lasted for two hours agreed that they should debate the issue of insecurity and give Buhari an impeachable ultimatum notice.

Co-incidentally, after thwarting the senators move to initiate impeachment proceedings against Buhari, the senate president, Lawan ruled for a seven-week recess by the Upper Chambers.

Speaking, Wednesday, immediately after the walkout, Senator Francis Fadahunsi (PDP-Osun East), Senator Francis Fadahunsi, told reporters that some APC lawmakers supported the impeachment move and that the remaining would join the majority when the Senate resumes from the long vacation.

“Remember I moved this motion two years ago that this President could offer nothing and that he should step aside. But the APC then, floating in the Atlantic Ocean didn’t understand what I was saying. Now that the dangerous Atlantic Ocean is sweeping them and they have overtaken even Abuja, they are gradually seeing reasons.

“We decided at a close door session that an impeachment notice should be passed on him, but because somebody is still busy trying to protect his job, it was not possible.

“Today, during the executive meeting, all of us agreed, that the man should be served an impeachment notice. Almost all the APC Senators conceded that the man should be served, except a few.

“By the time we come back, that is, if all of us will come back; that is, if some of us are not inflicted by the insecurity; we would all come together, regardless of our political affiliations and ask that he should go.

“The soldiers are busy making money. The Generals are busy acquiring houses. Some of them do not even know what to do with the money, some of them are building universities and hotels.

“Each time we invite them, they always complain of a shortage of funds and we would always approve money for them. So, they have now acquired much money.

“All the people causing these issues, have you heard that anyone was arrested? The few ones arrested were also blown out of Kuje prisons and are now causing more mayhem. These people know exactly what they are doing.

“If the man in power is not ejected out of Aso Villa, the way things are going, this country would slide into militocracy and the democracy we all laboured for would erode us.

“The Commander of his Brigade Command has been killed. About 30 soldiers under him cannot be found. If he goes and someone comes in, the person would understand the language.

“At a point, El-Rufai who was part of those who brought them came out openly and confessed that the only way to eliminate them is to attack their hideouts and kill all of them, including those who are mediating. But who will give the order?

“So, someone that cannot give order for this clampdown should take a leave and allow another person to come in.

“By the time the Senate resumes, we shall sanitise the system and speak in one voice,” Fadahunsi, who also serves as Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Customs and Trades and Investment, said.