Northern Elders Urge Impeachment Of Buhari Northern Elders Urge Impeachment Of Buhari
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has finally risen as one against President Muhammadu Buhari with a call on the National Assembly to impeach the... Northern Elders Urge Impeachment Of Buhari

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has finally risen as one against President Muhammadu Buhari with a call on the National Assembly to impeach the president for gross incompetence, lamenting that the president’s obvious incompetence had seen the spiraling out of hand of security challenges across the country.

Spokesman of the NEF, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who made the call during an interview on Africa Independent Television (AIT) this morning said Nigerians could not wait for another two years for Buhari to address the issues of insecurity.

He noted that those saddled with the constitutional responsibility of protecting Nigerians must realise that the country was in dire straits and that something needed to be done urgently to pull the country from the precipice rather than stand aside, watch and make empty promises.

According to him, the second option was for the citizens to come together and decide on the way forward.

The third option, Baba-Ahmed stressed “is for the leaders who have failed to recognise the fact that they are the problem resign, because they clearly have nothing to offer, in terms of leadership.”

He said: “As our democratic system provides, those with the responsibility to get them off should impeach those who are failing. If the president can’t deliver, he should be impeached.

“We don’t have a National Assembly that appears to have the level of patriotism and concern beyond partisan politics to realise that when this roof falls, it also falls on their heads.

“Partisanship is so pronounced that the people we elected and sent to Abuja think they serve the President rather than the Nigerian people.”

Femi Falana

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), had earlier called on the National Assembly to impeach President Buhari, saying his administration “has outlived its usefulness” in light of the worsening security situation across Nigeria.

Falana, who spoke on the sidelines of an event to mark World Press Freedom Day, described Nigeria as a nation at war, agonising that the current administration can no longer perform its function of securing lives and properties.

He said: “Our country is going through war. In the North East, the Boko Haram sect is having an upper hand, don’t be deceived.

“I’m sure you know what is going on in the South East – no policeman or soldier can wear his uniform- it’s as bad as that. I’m sure you know what is going on in the South West – kidnapping, ritual murders all over the place. So, nowhere is safe in our country.”

Falana cited section 143 of the constitution which provides that “The President or Vice-President may be removed from office, in accordance with the provisions of this section.”

He berated the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for criticising those calling for the president’s resignation.

“For them, it’s an unreasonable statement to ask the president to resign. But for me, I submit by virtue of section 143…that if the president is unable to perform the primary functions of his office, the National Assembly shall move for him and ensure that he is neatly taken away out of power through the process of impeachment,” he said.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said the country has reached that stage “because section 14 (2) (3) provides that the primary purpose of the government in Nigeria shall be the security and welfare of the people,” which, according to him, the Buhari administration is no longer able to do.

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