House PDP Caucus Backs Senate’s Threat to Impeach Buhari, to Start Signature Collection Sept. 20 

Sunday Aborisade and Udora Orizu in Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party Caucus in the National Assembly met behind closed doors on Thursday to discuss the impeachment threat issued to President Muhammadu Buhari by the Senate at plenary on Wednesday.

The PDP Caucus in the red chamber had before the Senate adjourned plenary to September 20, asked Buhari to end insecurity in Nigeria within six weeks or risk impeachment.

The House of Representatives PDP Caucus joined their colleagues in the Senate on Thursday and expressed their support for the impeachment move.

The Senate Minority Leader, Phillip Aduda, and his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, briefed journalists after the joint closed door meeting.

They said the collection of signatures across party lines would be taken at the two chambers in September, if Buhari failed to tackle insecurity before the expiration of their ultimatum.

Aduda explained that the plan to sack Buhari if he failed to honour their demands, was not the idea of the minority caucus in the Senate but a resolution taken by the entire senators at the closed session held on Wednesday. 

Aduda said, “Indeed, all of you are aware of what happened yesterday and we felt that there was the need to be on the same page with the members  of the House of Representatives. 

“Our action yesterday were spontaneous from the issues that were raised on the floor of the Senate. 

“I am sure that members of the Press must have interacted with our various colleagues to know that this issue is not just about the PDP caucus but it is a bipartisan issue. 

“We all agreed that the security architecture is failing and there is need to salvage it immediately and we also agreed that we must issue an impeachment notice to the President because the primary responsibility of government is the protection of lives of the citizens. 

“We have called the caucus in the House of Representatives so that we can discuss with them so that they can hear from us and understand what we did yesterday.”

Elumelu also told journalists that his colleagues in the green chambers would start collecting signatures as soon as the ultimatum expired without improvement in the disturbing security situation in the country. 

He said, “They (senators), have given six weeks for Mr. President to address the insecurity that is, of course, affecting this nation, and I want to join on behalf of my colleagues to also say that upon the expiration, we will proffer ways of ensuring that we will gather all the signatures.

“Let me make it clear. Those who are thinking that it is only the issue of PDP or the minority caucus. Many of our colleagues under the bipartisanship are affected. Many of them are affected.

“They may not be speaking but we may be speaking for them. And when the time comes. I heard somebody this morning saying it is a laughable attempt to want to do that. 

“Perhaps, when the action starts, the person will find out that it’s not a laughable action. It’s real and we will not stand to allow this nation collapse. 

“We think that it is high time, the insecurity of this nation was addressed. We also have the issue of oil theft which has risen, now making it difficult for us to earn income from oil revenue.

“These and many others are the reasons we are joining our colleagues in the Senate to ask Mr. President to address the insecurity of this nation within six weeks. 

“Otherwise, we will find the constitutional means to ensure that we serve him an impeachment notice.”