$496mn Tucano Jets: Plots to remove Buhari thickens

While some lawmakers in the House of Representatives might have slowdown on the impeachment process against President Muhammadu Buhari, sources says opposition lawmakers in both chambers have started to discreetly get signatures of their colleagues to impeach the president.

A legislative source told National Daily that the lawmakers are very angry and are ready to nail this act once and for all.

“Don’t forget that this is not the first time that the president would disregard the legislature in taking key decisions… the matter has been referred to the committees (in both chambers) and they will advise them on the way forward as regards the anticipatory approval. But based on the illegality of Mr. President’s action, they have started gathering signatures for his impeachment in both chambers.”

The source said the president had since September 2017 to consult with the leadership of the national assembly leadership over the issue but he did not do so.

According to him, last year, a congress delegation met with the leadership of the national assembly based on Trump’s request to sell the aircraft to Nigeria but president Buhari decided to do things his own way.”

The source said while Kingsley Chinda from Rivers state is among those coordinating the collection of signatures in the lower legislative chamber, some Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) senators are behind it at the senate.

Recall that there was a fierce argument between the PDP lawmakers and their All Progressives Congress (APC) colleagues at the senate on Thursday.

It was later decided that rather than initiate impeachment proceedings against the president, the committee on rules and business should look for a way to resolve the matter.

Matthew Urhoghide, a PDP senator from Edo state, and Chukwuka Utazi, a PDP lawmaker Enugu state, were among the opposition lawmakers who pushed for the ousting of Buhari, while some of their colleagues on the other side disagreed.

But Abu Ibrahim, an APC senator from Katsina state, disagreed, describing the impeachment plot as a conspiracy from PDP.

Ibrahim defended Buhari, saying the president approved for the withdrawal of the money “based on national interest”.

The lawmakers, who are not happy with the decision of the president to approve $496 million for the procurement of 12 Super Tucano aircraft from the US without their backing, had given the impression that the matter was being resolved.

The issue of impeachment first arose at the house of reps on Wednesday. While deliberating on a letter Buhari wrote to the national assembly, saying he had anticipated that the lawmakers would approve the withdrawal, Kingsley Chinda from Rivers state, asked his colleagues to commence impeachment proceedings against Buhari.

The president had said he took the action because the US gave Nigeria a deadline for payment. He also sought to include the procurement of the aircraft in the 2018 budget.

But citing sections 80 and 81 of 1999 constitution, Chinda said the Nigerian law does not recognise anticipatory approval.