KEHINDE FAJOBI
The lawmaker representing Bauchi North Senatorial District, Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa and member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC has disclosed that majority of members of the Senate supported the move to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari, over the failure of his administration to address the growing insecurity in Nigeria.
Bulkachuwa said most members of the Senate agreed to the impeachment move when the lawmakers were in a closed-door session at the plenary last Wednesday.
However, during the plenary after the closed door meeting Senate President Ahmad Lawan, refused to allow a motion to threaten Buhari with an impeachment if he failed to address insecurity in the country in six weeks time as agreed by the senators at the closed door meeting.
Consequently, opposition lawmakers walked out of the plenary and speaking to the press, went ahead to give Buhari six weeks to address security issues in the country or face impeachment.
Speaking on the matter on Monday on Channels Television current affairs programme, “Politics Today”, Bulkachuwa stated that previous efforts made by the National Assembly to end the country’s security crisis had failed.
The lawmaker said, “In the first instance, on that day, the Senate went into a closed session and it was at the closed session that these issues were discussed. Without divulging so much, I can tell you that majority of senators really felt there was the need to initiate that action.”
Asked if the APC Senators backed the move, he said: “It was not 100% unanimous per se but the majority supported it. And this didn’t come out to public knowledge because it was during a closed session. And (as) you know, closed sessions or executive sessions, there are no journalists, not even (members of) staff of the Assembly. It is purely a meeting of lawmakers – senators that are present on that day.”
Bulkachuwa noted that the lawmakers have engaged with the service chiefs and heads of security agencies, proffering solutions to the challenges they put forward.
“When we realised that all that have not actually worked, the security situation was getting worse and even the financial situation in the country is not improving, we thought we are just one arm of the government and we are limited in the execution of proposals and the actual enforcement of suggestions and laws; we are not responsible for all that.
“What we can do is try to draw the attention of the Executive (of the government) that we have tried everything and the only thing we have not tried is that we have to draw your attention to the fact that we have a constitutional responsibility to pull your ears at it were by way of notice of impeachment and give you a chance.”
The Senator said he believed that “something can happen and we are still hopeful”.
“If you notice, since that day, Mr President met with the security chiefs and within the security apparatus, so many changes have occurred.”
