Senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) extraction have denied media reports that they were planning to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Muhammadu Buhari.
It would be recalled that a recent report had quoted a former Chairman of the board of trustees of the party as having called on the National Caretaker committee Chairman – Alhaji 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.”
But in a press statement at the weekend 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.”
According to the PDP Senate Caucus, “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.”
According to the PDP Senators, they were more concerned about the economy than 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 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,” and vowed to work with other Senators to enact legislations that will uplift the living standard of Nigerians.