Buhari: Court Begin Hearings On Impeachment As Pressures Mount on Him To Resign

Hearing begins today in an Oshogbo High Court on whether or not the National Assembly should proceed on the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari. The suit, filed by one Barrister Kanmi Ajibola, Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ilesa branch; and another Lawyer, Comrade Suleiman Adeniyi, a human rights activist, stated that President Buhari had breached the provisions of the Nigeria Constitution claiming that he possesses the required qualification to vie for the exulted office of the President.

In the last  sitting of the court on November 26, 2018, the court adjourned to enable parties joined in the suit be served. Indications are that all parties may have been served, but currently National Assembly workers are on a four day warning strike.

This is one of the latest pressures on the president to resign his position. Opposition party leaders have been calling on the president to resign based on his admission that the economy is in dire straits. The president had, according to governor Abdulazeez Yari of Zamfara state, told Governors he met with that the economy is in bad shape and that things will get worse. “The economy is in bad shape (and) we have to come together, think and rethink on the way forward,” he said.

But Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had advised him to go back to Daura, his home town if he is tired of job of running the country.

“He is tired and at his wits end and it is time for him to vacate active task of presidency and return to his much cherished sedentary, pastoral and rustic lifestyle in his country home in Daura then leave the rigours and highly strategic art of governance to those who know how to govern and get the economy working again,” he said.

Besides the attacks on Buhari on the admission of failure in the economic front, there has been serious backlash on the Federal government dismissive attitude towards the fallen Nigerian soldiers during Boko Haram attacks. In recent times, Boko Haram has slaughtered the Nigerian military to the tune on over a hundred soldiers and counting. During the burial of the soldiers, the President was not there and Presidency was not represented, and this has sparked off anger among Nigerians on social media. Atiku and the presidency has also been at daggers drawn on the issue.

“I am pained that neither the President or his vice were in attendance at the funeral and that the Federal Government did not send a high powered delegation to represent the government at the funeral.” Atiku said.

“This is sad and totally unacceptable. This is beyond politics. This touches our shared humanity. What would it cost for the President to take a day and fulfil his role as head of state by attending the funeral of such men of honour and valour? The sad part of it is that a day before their funeral, President Muhammadu Buhari took time out of his busy schedule to host Nollywood stars at the Presidential Villa. I appreciate Nollywood and I have personally done a lot, both in my private capacity and when I was Vice President, to promote that vitally important industry. However, it does not send a right message to the men and women who are fighting for Nigeria if you can attend a get together of entertainers but you cannot find the time to honour those who make the peace we are benefitting from possible. I urge President Muhammadu Buhari to learn from French President Emmanuel Macron, who on March 28, 2018 took a whole day off to attend the funeral of Lt Col Arnaud Beltrame, who was killed by a terrorist after a March 24, 2018 terror attack on the South of France. It will be recalled that Time Magazine reported that that singular act by Mr. Macron boosted the morale of French security forces more than any other action in France’s war on terror. Nigeria lost the opportunity to do the same thing to our military and security forces.”, he concluded.

coupled with this is the new found war that the Nigerian is waging against international United Nations affiliated organizations. Recently they suspended the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Funds, UNICEF, from the North east, accusing them of impropriety. This was followed swiftly by their hammer of Amnesty International, an international human rights monitoring group.