There was a drama on the floor of the Senate yesterday when Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia South) called for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari and governors found to have breached sections of the constitution in the course of governance.
This occurred when Abaribe spoke on a bill for an Act to prescribe punishment for acts and conducts that are undemocratic by elected officials and or persons and other matters connected therewith (2018) sponsored by Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi South). Na’Allah, who is the Deputy Senate Leader, had, in his lead debate, noted that it had become necessary for the 8th Senate to lead in legislative interventions to address actions that had continued to constitute a threat to the nation’s democracy.
However, contributing, Abaribe argued that the bill was not necessary because the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria captured the intentions of the bill. He said that the only problem was that the executive arm had not been implementing the law by punishing those who were defaulting and flouting the provisions of the constitution. He said that his heart was in support of the bill, but his head was against because it was a mere duplication of the provisions of the existing law.
The lawmaker provoked members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) when he suggested that President Buhari should be impeached for several constitutional breaches he had committed. “I think where this problem of Ibn Allah, our very good friend, is that the executive today refuses to act when they need to act for consequences of what the people do.
The penalty is there in the constitution. If a president refuses to act, then impeach him; there is no other thing you need to do,” he said. At this juncture, the leader of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, interjected by raising Order 53 (4) which says, “Senator must confine his observations to the subject under discussion and may not introduce matters irrelevant.” President of Senate, Saraki, then quickly intervened by saying, “Senator Abaribe, definitely you have completely gone off the subject matter and as such, Leader’s point of Order is sustained.”
Abaribe continued: “Thank you, Mr. President, I am just quoting from our lead debate’s quote which says, ‘you dodge away from your responsibilities, you must face the consequences’. “I was simply explaining that, so let me take away the one for the president by saying, any governor that leaves his responsibilities should be impeached. That is how it is in the constitution.” Saraki again interjected: “I don’t think this bill is targeting the executive arm of government.
So, let us limit it to the debate.” Abaribe continued: “Mr. President, let me say this that I fully subscribe to what is in this Bill, that it has become worrisome that if this is not checked, it will affect our democratic culture.
The instances abound and yesterday our former president, our revered president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo even exposed everything…” Saraki interjected again, saying “Senator Abaribe, I don’t need a point of Order, I will play the role of the leader and the President of the Senate in this matter… (laughs).” Saraki referred the Bill to Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and asked it to return it back in four weeks.
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