From Romanus Ugwu and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are loggerheads over the call for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari by the PDP caucus in a statement issued by the leader of the caucus, Kingsley Chinda last Sunday.
The House of Representatives, yesterday, rejected the call by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for constituents to prevail on their representatives in the National Assembly to commence impeachment proceeding against President Muhammadu Buhari.
The PDP caucus, in a statement by its leader, Kingsley Chinda, on Sunday, accused President Buhari of allegedly violating the 1999 Constitution. The caucus stated that the impeachment of the president has become necessary in the interest of the country.
However, the House, in a statement by the chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Benjamin Kalu, said the motive and timing of the call for the impeachment of the president was distasteful. According to him, the Green Chamber is looking forward to meeting with president Buhari to dialogue on the security situation in the country.
Besides, Kalu said Chinda has no right to speak for opposition lawmakers, as he is not the minority leader.
He said: “Even among the minority caucus, Hon Kingsley Chinda lost the opportunity to speak for the entire minority when he lost the minority leadership election to Hon Ndudi Elumelu, the minority leader of the 9th Assembly, a wound that has refused to heal.
“It is the structure of the minority caucus leadership and majority caucus leadership that is recognised by the House as any statement not emanating from these and the spokesperson of the House does not, in any way, reflect either the minority, majority or general position of the 9th House of Representatives and should be disregarded like his other divisive, distracting, destabilising and destructive positions.
However , the PDP has insisted that the call by its caucus for Nigerians to compel their representatives to commence impeachment proceedings against president Buhari is constitutional and democratic.
The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, said the call reflects the mood of the country.
“The call is a direct reflection of the mood and desires of the Nigerian people, given President Buhari’s manifest failure in all spheres of governance, particularly, in failing to provide an effective leadership that can guarantee the security of our nation and rescue our economy, which has collapsed in his hands.
“As a party, the PDP has always called on our federal legislators in the House of Representatives and the Senate, irrespective of political affiliations, to stand on the side of the people by deploying the legislative instruments provided in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to rescue the ship of state.
“The PDP, therefore, urges Nigerians to eschew all primordial sentiments and stand for the nation at this critical time,” the party stated.
Reacting, the ruling APC described the call for president Buhari’s impeachment by the PDP caucus as ‘insensitive and callous’.
In a statement issued by the party”s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, the ruling party maintained that president Buhari is perfectly on the same page with the National Assembly in the fight against insecurity.
“Chinda’s insensitive and callous intention is to play politics with the grief of citizens in the aftermath of the recent, gruesome and condemnable killings of some defenceless farmers in Zabarmari, Borno state by Boko Haram. The APC will not join Chinda and his PDP backers on this evil and ignoble road.
Meanwhile, Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma has appealed to the leadership of the House of Representatives to hold private audience with President Muhammadu Buhari on the current security situation in the country, instead of holding a public session in the Chambers.
The governor said the lawmakers could still get the same answers by meeting with Buhari privately.
He urged the lawmakers to exercise caution in the matter of national security, lest the country may be made even more vulnerable in the process.
“The leadership of the National Assembly, the President and Armed Forces which the president heads as Commander in chief are on the same page in tackling emerging security situations in the country and ensure the safety of all Nigerians,” APC noted in the statement.