It’s ‘Technically Impossible’ To Impeach Buhari, Shehu Sani Tells PDP Lawmakers

Senator Shehu Sani has urged opposition lawmakers to focus on the 2023 general elections instead of wasting energy on trying to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari.

Sani said that though he is disposed to impeach the president over the worsening security situation, the complex nature of impeachment as provided in the 1999 Constitution makes it ‘technically impossible’ to achieve before the 2023 elections.

The former lawmaker stated this on Wednesday during a PREMIUM TIMES forum on Twitter Space.

The session, titled ‘Insecurity: Should President Muhammadu Buhari be impeached,’ also had in attendance, the founder of Enough is Enough (EiE), Yemi Adamolekun, the Director of Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chinwe Nnorom, and about 3,327 participants.

Last week, the minority caucus of the National Assembly resolved to give President Buhari six weeks to address the general insecurity in the country or risk impeachment.

The agitation started in the Red Chamber when some opposition senators staged a walkout of plenary after Senate President Ahmad Lawan blocked a motion on insecurity and a call for an impeachment notice to the president.

The PDP caucus in the House also joined in the six-week ultimatum after a meeting of the National Assembly PDP caucus.

The PDP is the largest opposition in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Although the presidency described the impeachment threat as babyish antics of the opposition, some senators of the ruling APC have backed the impeachment move.

Elisha Abbo (APC, Adamawa) and Adamu Bulkachuwa (APC, Bauchi) have publicly endorsed the impeachment move.

Sani, who was in the 8th Senate, said the main opposition party should focus on winning the general election rather than dissipating energy on the impeachment that has the potential to drag on till February 2023 when elections will be ongoing.

“At a time like this, what should be most important is how to dislodge the present political party. Any other thing can be a serious distraction,” Sani, a former PDP governorship aspirant in Kaduna said.

“The Chairman (Iyorcha Ayu) of the PDP was also a former Senate President. He knows the details and the issues in the National Assembly. I think the party should preoccupy itself with the strategy on how to win the election.

 

“Dissipating energy on the issue of impeachment can even affect the next election. If it is easier, I believe the president should be impeached today, and if there would be no consequences. If you go to the details, it would take months and with leadership like Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, who are already in sync with the government, it is going to be energy wasted.”

The Kaduna politician said his stance is based on his experience as a senator.

“At a period like this in the National Assembly, when the whole tenure of the administration is coming to an end– and they already proceeded on annual recess, by the time they are back, there would never be a full quorum in the National Assembly,” he said.

“Many seats will be empty until the end of the year because the senators and Reps will have to retrieve back to their constituencies, struggling for their political lives.”

Sani said he believes the impeachment threat “is more symbolic to send a message to the president that he has failed and the National Assembly is taking him on.”

She said although the PDP is not driving the impeachment threat, she believes opposition lawmakers should go ahead with their threat.

It is better late than never, she said when asked if the impeachment threat is not coming too late in the administration.

 

PREMIUM TIMES