Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators have denied media reports that they were planning to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Muhammadu Buhari.
They made the clarification in apparent response to a July 15, 2016 letter by former chairman, Board of Trustees of the party, Chief Tony Anenih, calling on the National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi to “dissuade the PDP caucus in the National Assembly from participating in the alleged ‘ill advised’ adventure of removing President Muhammadu Buhari from office”.
In a statement jointly signed by Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Senate Minority Whip, Senator Philip Aduda, and Senate Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Biodun Olujimi, the PDP senators described the said impeachment plot as “false, baseless and unfounded”.
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The statement read in part: “For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that the said impeachment plot is false, baseless and unfounded. The PDP Senate Caucus had neither discussed nor participated in any discussion or congregation on the issue of impeaching and/or serving notice of impeachment on President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR. Hence, we advise Nigerians generally to be cautious in spinning and/or peddling rumours capable of heating up the polity”.
The lawmakers said their priority was how to improve the downturn in the economic fortune of the country, not impeaching the president.
“By the admission of the Hon. Minister of Finance of the Federal Republic of Nigeria when she appeared before the Senate on Thursday, July 21, 2016 at plenary, the Nigerian economy is technically in recession. Therefore, this is no time for politicking. Rather, we should all join hands together to address the problems of unemployment, hunger, poverty and insecurity currently ravaging our country”, the PDP senators said.
The statement added: “The downturn in the economy is of more concern to us as PDP senators who are known patriots. Nigerians are passing through very difficult times and our immediate concern is how to assist in proffering solutions to the economic crises that we are presently faced with.”
“Before the Senate proceeded on a six-week recess on Thursday, July 21, 2016, there was no such item as impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, on the agenda of the PDP Senate Caucus or that of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
They pledged to work with other senators to enact legislations that will uplift the living standards of Nigerians.
