Can The 9th Assembly Impeach Buhari?

The six weeks notice served on President Muhammadu Buhari to address the worsening insecurity in the country or face impeachment has elicited several reactions.

While some people who are worried over the increasing killings, kidnapping, raping and destructions of properties want Buhari impeached, others have seen the move as belated.

For the past seven years, Buhari has committed several impeachable offences but the leadership of the 9th Senate, which resolved from day one to work harmoniously with the executive, looked the other way round. Taking decisions that require legislative approval can attract impeachment.

In April, 2018, Buhari approved the withdrawal of $462 million from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) to the United States for the procurement of 12 Super Tucano aircraft, without a prior approval of the National Assembly.

In their midterm report, Senators, in their filibusters, openly said they passed over 60 resolutions on security but the Executive looked the other way.

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Killings were and are still in high proportion. When a country is not getting better on security, and the legislature, which is the branch of government recognised by law to carry out oversight functions and also make appropriations, made recommendations on how things will work better but the executive did not act, what are they supposed to do?

With the fact that the country was not getting better on security, his appointment for the service chiefs and others were seen as not reflecting the principles of fairness and the federal character.

But because Ahmad Lawan’s 9th Assembly which came with an agenda tagged: “A Senate that works for the people,” thought wielding the big stick that will pave a way for security was a disservice to the nation. No country can develop or progress without security.

But Nigerian Senators angry with the rising insecurity in the country who served Buhari with notice of impeachment said they have given the president all that he needed to tackle the security challenges but that the issue kept getting worse even in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the seat of power.

The Senators’ resolution came after a closed-door meeting with the Senate leadership headed by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, which lasted for over two hours in the red chamber.

After the closed-door meeting, the Senate President blocked a move by the lawmakers to present their resolutions on the impeachment notice on Buhari over insecurity at plenary, a development which angered the Senators, who consequently staged a walkout to address the Senate Press Corps.

“At the closed session, we agreed to give him (Buhari) an ultimatum of six weeks after which we will impeach him. But the Senate President blocked us.

“Nowhere is safe in Nigeria, even Abuja. Urgent steps need to be taken and we left the chamber because we’ve given the President six weeks to resolve the issue or we impeach him.

“We’ve given all the appropriations, resolutions and the support he needs. Our next line of action is to impeach him,” the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Philip Aduda, told journalists on behalf of other Senators

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have described the impeachment notice served on president Muhammadu Buhari by Senators as a decision coming late.

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According to the CSOs, the lawmakers should have commenced the process long ago adding that the impeachment process takes time to be actualised.

The CSOs who spoke to LEADERSHIP are Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) Transparency International (TI) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).

Also, socio-cultural groups and politicians have berated the move by the National Assembly lawmakers to impeach Buhari.

While many Nigerians are not happy with the security challenges in the country, will the President address the issue within six weeks, having spent over seven years without meaningful results? Can the Senate impeach Buhari? Only time and events in the world will tell.