The threat by federal lawmakers to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari over worsening insecurity thickened Thursday as minority caucus of the House of Representatives backed their colleagues in the senate.
The PDP senators had on Wednesday agreed to a six-week ultimatum on the president to address the current spate of insecurity or get impeached.
The lawmakers took the decision at a behind closed doors session which lasted two hours.
The senators later stormed out of plenary chanting “Buhari must go” when the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, blocked the move to debate the issue.
Briefing reporters yesterday after another behind closed doors meeting of the PDP caucus in the National Assembly, House Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, said they aligned with their colleagues in the senate to issue impeachment notice to the president if the security situation was not improved after six weeks.
The lawmaker said if there was no significant improvement in the security situation after expiration of six week, they would move to gather signatures for Buhari’s impeachment.
He said, “Nigeria is in a stand still. So, having looked at all these scenarios and the reason behind why our colleagues walked out in the senate, we are of the opinion that we will also join them.
“They have given six to eight weeks for Mr President to address the insecurity that is, of course, affecting this nation, and I want to also join on behalf of my colleagues to also say that upon the expiration, we will proffer ways of ensuring that we gather all the signatures.
“I heard somebody this morning saying it is a laughable attempt to want do that. Perhaps, when the action starts the person will find out that it’s not a laughable action. It’s real and we will not stand to allow this nation collapse.
“We think that it is high time the insecurity of this nation was addressed. And of course, we also have the issue of oil theft which has risen, now making it difficult for us to earn income from oil revenue. These and many others are the reasons we are joining our colleagues in the senate to ask Mr President to address the insecurity of this nation within six and eight weeks. Otherwise, we will find the constitutional means to ensure that we serve him an impeachment notice.”
