…says APC government is an embarrassment to Nigeria
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives on Thursday accused the executive arm of the government of treating the legislature as servants, disregarding and disrespecting the institution which is the citadel of democracy.
The Caucus also described the APC-led government as an embarrassment to Nigeria and Nigerians, while renewing its earlier call on Nigerians to compel their lawmakers in the National Assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against President Muhammadu Buhari.
But the opposition lawmakers, however, admitted that unless Nigerians compel their representatives both in the Senate and the House Representatives to join them in the impeachment train, they lack the required number and capacity to commence impeachment moves against the President.
Addressing a news conference in Abuja, Leader of the caucus, Hon. Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) said Nigerians across tribe, religion and political party must “awaken their Representatives and Senators to the realities of the moment and rescue Nigeria from this “road to perdition” by evoking their Constitutional powers under Section 143 of the Constitution.
He said the President should be impeached for gross incompetence and breach of Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, while members of the Federal Executive Council should resolve under Section 144 of the Constitution that the President is incapable of discharging the functions of the office.
The caucus accused the APC government of relentlessly continuing in its undemocratic attempt to gag, disregard and denigrate the National Assembly which is the citadal of democracy and custodian of the nation’s constitution.
He said further that rather than accord the legislature its respect, the executive has treated the legislature more as servant with “a master/servant relationship existing between the executive and the legislature since 2015” when the current APC government came into power even when they total control of both chambers.
He said “we are witnesses to the master/servant relationship between both arms of government festered by the almost imposition of the leadership of both chambers by the same APC government which recently absurdly constituted a joint committee of both arms of government chaired by the Vice President under the guise of fostering a better relationship between the Legislature and the Executive which in itself is an indictment of a government unable to work harmoniously with a National Assembly whose leadership in both chambers and majority are APC members.
“This kangaroo joint committee has obviously been ineffectual yielding nothing positive to Nigerians till date while this APC government relentlessly continues its undemocratic attempts to gag, disregard and denigrate the National Assembly which is the watchdog of the nation; the citadel of our democracy and the custodian of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which this government consistently observe more in breach.”
Chinda accused the government of spying on its citizens’ conversations and text messages rather than “enabling our gallant forces to curb the terrorism and banditry ravaging the nation today”.
He stressed that the government has consistently sought to crush dissent and criticism of any sort and has employed the instruments of state to victimize and punish her protesting citizens including media organizations.
He argued that “the necessity for a national clamour and focus on the restructuring of the Nation’s security apparatus and infrastructure including the declaration of a State of Emergency in the security sector which both chambers of the National Assembly have canvassed for severally, cannot be overemphasized.
“But this administration contrary to its erroneous claims and misplaced accusations has continued to play petty partisan politics with the issue of security which is the cardinal role of government as enshrined in section 14 (2) (b) of Nigeria’s 1999 constitution blaming its non-existent detractors and everyone else for its failure after over 5 years in office.
“Unabashed about peddling more lies, the APC administration has commenced another round of dissemination of misinformation claiming President Buhari stayed away from addressing a Joint Session of the National Assembly because of fears of serious embarrassment by PDP members which is a clear figment of their imagination.
“It is unfortunate that at this inauspicious juncture in Nigeria’s history Mr. President, his administration and the APC as a party continue to pretend as if they do not realize they are already an embarrassment to Nigeria and her citizens and hence need not fear further embarrassment from imaginary sources.
“It is the hallmark of a true leader to be able to patriotically rally and muster bipartisan support for his administration’s policies and strategies for the general good of all citizens regardless of party inclination and not abdicate his statutory responsibility to his nation on the premise of being afraid of being heckled by members of the opposition which several truly democratic leaders across the world have endured without losing stride or focus.
“This President has clearly displayed a lack of capacity to do so and instead continues to panda only to party nuances. Members of the PDP Caucus are statesmen, and cannot set out to cause mischief as the President is a father to all. However, the Caucus will not sacrifice the interest of the country on the altar of political loyalty or servitude”.
Commenting on the statement by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice that the lawmakers lacked the power to invite the President, Chinda said “the Attorney General clearly implies the president who was elected under the provisions of the constitution which he swore to uphold is above the law. The Caucus shall seek for judicial interpretation of the same.
“In claiming the president has exclusive powers for operational use of the armed forces and that security is the exclusive preserve of the executive the Attorney General inadvertently indicted the President and his administration so it should therefore be understood by all Nigerians that the blame for the insecurity bedeviling the nation is exclusively that of the promise-and-fail executive arm.
“With an administration known for the most barefaced lies and worst propaganda in the political history of Nigeria an administration that used lies and propaganda to seize power, only to declare lesser expressions as ‘hate speech’ Nigeria no doubt is facing two more years of forlorn wait for presidential seriousness on worsening insecurity across the federation except we take legitimate steps to terminate the wait.
“Though the PDP is in the Minority, we are entitled to have our say and that is what we will continue to do and that is what we are here doing. Let it be known that we are not interested in politicking with security but we want the safety of Nigerians to be given priority.”
He said “with due regard to the nation’s mournful mood and worsening anxieties, the House of Representatives led by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila had invited President Buhari over rising insecurity across the federation, climaxed by the killing of over 43 farmers in Borno State and the kidnapping of hundreds of schoolboys.
“This contributes to the worsening profile of Nigeria in the comity of nations where she regrettably occupies the third most terrorised country in the world after Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Only one gate separates the National Assembly Complex from the presidential villa but it appears easier for a donkey to pass through the eye of a needle than for President Buhari to pass through the gate and address us on extremely serious security issues daily consuming the lives of our people.
“Less than twenty-four hours to the scheduled address over such weighty matters that involve lives of Nigerian citizens in the hands of all manners of forest bandits, international terrorists, unrestrained highway kidnapping gangs and a host of other anarchists; it became apparent that the seriousness Nigerians attach to these issues is not shared by Nigeria’s Presidency.”
He said further that in the past, the sharing of mutual concerns over citizens’ security by the Presidency and the National Assembly had yielded some positive impact including huge budgetary allocations for the Presidency’s purported plans to put an end to insecurity.
He said, “since 2015 when the APC administration assumed power, the National Assembly has conscientiously done all within its power to appropriate hundreds of billions of Naira to facilitate the realization of APC’s core promises focused on the economy, security and curbing corruption.”
