Posted by FELIX NWANERI, Lagos MUHAMMED KABIR, Kano on
PLOT to unseat President Olusegun Obasanjo intensified at the weekend following disclosure that 246 members of the House of Representatives have signed for the commencement of impeachment proceedings against him.
PLOT to unseat President Olusegun Obasanjo intensified at the weekend following disclosure that 246 members of the House of Representatives have signed for the commencement of impeachment proceedings against him.
But Nasarawa State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu and Internal Affairs Minister, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu have given assurance that the executive-legislature face-off over the 2005 budget will soon be resolved.
Similarly the South East caucus in the House is expected to make its stand on the plot public today (Monday).
However, Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Alhaji Farouk Mustapha, who briefed newsmen on the impeachment moves in Kano yesterday said 246 out of 360 representatives have so far, appended their signatures to the document.
Hon. Mustapha, who represents Katagun Federal Constituency of Bauchi State, explained that he signed the impeachment register because he believes that Obasanjo had committed constitutional breaches.
He debunked news making rounds that House members were being chased around by men of the State Security Services (SSS), insisting that no amount of pressure will make them withdraw their charges Mustapha alleged that Obasanjo since he became president had breached several constitutional provisions, threatening however that "this time around, we would not back down on our mission."
Said he, "I cannot say, I am not aware of any impeachment move, because I have signed the register, but I am not saying we are impeaching him today or tomorrow. The reason why we insisted, is because of the constitutional breaches he has been doing since. We have been condoning him but the most disheartening thing is the 2005 Appropriation Act, which his Finance minister doctored," Mustapha denied allegations that, it was because National Assembly's allocation was tampered with, that they were desperate to remove Obasanjo adding that such speculation was sheer blackmail aimed at denting their image.
Meanwhile strong indication has emerged that the plot may soon be resolved.
Governor Adamu and Dr Ayu dropped the hint in separate interviews with newsmen at the Presidential Lounge of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Ikeja Lagos at the weekend. They said that though the impeachment process is a characteristic of a true democracy, an agreement would soon be reached by the lawmakers and the presidency.
According to Ayu, "there will definitely be an agreement because it is the character of democracy to disagree and arrive at a consensus. There will be negotiations and at the end of the day, there will be a very healthy agreement.
Noting that the current face-off is not an end of the country's democracy but still part of the learning process, the minister said the action of the lawmakers is a healthy development provided they know when to exercise restraint.
"In a democracy, there is institutionalised disagreement. So, if we don't have room for these types of disagreements and they are pent up, they may explode into undemocratic measures.
They way they are doing it now, we are learning from each other. At the end of the day, you will find out that even when you disagree, it doesn't mean that is the end of democracy. I think that generally, it is a healthy development, provided we know when to apply the break.
"There will definitely be an agreement because it is the character of democracy to disagree and arrive at a consensus," Ayu said.
Gov. Adamu also described the plot as democratic noise which would soon be resolved.