By Dansu Peter
Being the Commander-in-Chief, the group reminded the Senate that President Muhammadu Buhari is the only one constitutionally conferred with the power to hire and sack the military heads.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja, President, Comrade Musa A Musa added that the lawmakers' action is a disservice to the generality of Nigerians given the enormous commitment and dedication displayed by the Service Chiefs in the country.
The group further frowned at Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, for opting to play politics at the expense of national interest, labelling him an "embarrassment" to his party.
CFSB, though, admitted that "tremendous progress has been made and great success recorded through innovations and strategies introduced by Service Chiefs in tackling the various security threats in the country".
While expressing total support for the president's decision to keep faith with the military architecture, the coalition, however, advised the Senate President and other lawmakers to consider the country first before their selfish interests.
Read the full statement below:
The Coalition of Friends and Supporters of Buhari, a support group of associates and friends of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari convoked this press conference out of a passionate desire to ensure that all forms of distractions for the current efforts of the present administration towards addressing the security threats in the country are nipped in the bud.
The recent call by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the resignation of the Service Chiefs in the country is a great disservice to the generality of Nigerians given the enormous commitment and dedication displayed by the Service Chiefs in the country.
The Coalition of Friends and Supporters of Buhari wishes to state that this is not the time to play to the gallery in this critical point of our existence given the myriads of politically motivated security challenges confronting the country.
It suffices to state that the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended is very explicit in the powers conferred on the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces with regards to the hiring and firing of the Service Chiefs in the country.
It is our considered opinion that the leadership of the Senate went above board and outside their purview in calling for the resignation of the Service Chiefs in the country which by all intent and purposes is an affront to the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It is rather curious that the Senate President would condescend low to delving into areas and issues that are outside his purview to score a cheap political point in furtherance of his innate political ambition to contest the presidency in 2023.
While it is not out of place to aspire as a politician, it is most despicable that caution would be thrown in the winds in a bid to paint a false picture of incapacity of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to act in the best interest of the country.
That the Senate President, though a high ranking member of the All Progressive Party (APC) would elect to be disingenuous constitute an embarrassment to the leadership of a party with which he actualized his ambition of becoming the Senate President.
The call for the resignation of the Service Chiefs as presided over by Senator Ahmad Lawan is nothing but a display of disloyalty and utter disrespect for the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The is on the heels that the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, either by omission or commission has continued to feign ignorance to the numerous efforts of the Service Chiefs in curtailing the activities of terrorists, militants and bandits across the country.
That the Service Chiefs in Nigeria have demonstrated capacity is an understatement given the realization of where we were before the advent of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and where were are now in the fight against terrorism and other militant groups in the country.
There is no doubt whatsoever that tremendous progress has been made and great success recorded through innovations and strategies introduced by Service Chiefs in tackling the various security threats in the country.
This much the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has continued to feign ignorance of and responsible for the irresponsible statement calling for the resignation of the Service Chiefs in the country.
The Coalition of Friends and Supporters of Buhari wishes to state in unequivocal terms that it stands with the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to retain the present crop of Service Chiefs for their tireless efforts in ensuring that the threats posed by the Boko Haram terrorist group and other militant groups in the country.
The Service Chiefs in the country have demonstrated capacity. They have never rested on their oars despite the numerous achievements, which is an indication of their unalloyed loyalty to the country.
The Coalition of Friends and Supporters of Buhari wishes to state that its support of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is unflinching and would continue to remain so because of the passion and sincerity of heart and purpose of the president in leaving Nigeria better than he met it in all areas of the economy.
We consequently wish to advise the Senate President not to be blinded by his political ambitions and realize that National Interest should guide his actions and inactions at all times.
The Coalition of Friends and Supporters of Buhari consequently advises the Senate President to resign and face the politics of 2023 which has become his major pre-occupation in the last few months.
The Senate President must realize that no amount of blackmail can deter President Muhammadu Buhari in the fulfilment of his lofty plans for the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
The Coalition of Friends and Supporters of Buhari and other well-meaning Nigerians herby throw its total support behind the President and the Service and Security Chiefs without any equivocation.
The call for the resignation of the Service Chiefs by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is of poor taste.
Thank you for your time and rapt attention.
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