The script to remove Jonathan

President Goodlcuk Jonathan is in the centre of
the storm following the police invasion of the
National Assembly complex penultimate
Thursday. Allegations hitherto covered by
partisan persuasions are being laid bare. But how
far the aggrieved legislators can go is another
thing.
By Dapo Akinrefon
Great wars have often been started with few
utterances. So is the unfolding battle of wits
between the legislative and executive arms of
government in Nigeria.
It was the seemingly inconsequential decision of
the member representing Kebbe/Tambuwal
Federal Constituency, Alhaji Aminu Waziri
Tambuwal to defect from the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, the party on whose platform he was
elected into the House of Representatives that is
now snowballing into a monumental battle
between the National Assembly and the executive
branches of government. Tambuwal who defected
is, however, no ordinary member. He is the
speaker of the House whose popularity as
speaker has been unmatched in the history of the
Fourth Republic.
It was thus significant that when the police took
the unprecedented act of blocking his way to the
House penultimate Thursday that it aroused a
passionate wave of resentment against the
executive arm of government which has control of
the police.
On that day, Thursday, 20th November, 2014, the
police for the first time breached the sovereignty
of the legislative arm by also shooting tear gas at
the speaker and other legislators who pushed the
way for him to enter the National Assembly
complex.
Significantly, while the police questioned the
authority of Tambuwal as speaker, the members
of the House of Representatives on that day did
not share that doubt as they without exception
accorded him the honour of speaker of the House.
No one on that day questioned his authority.
It was as such not shocking that even before the
legislators settled down that day that cries of
impeachment of the president rented the air
within the chambers of the House of
Representatives.
“Jonathan must go,” We cannot tolerate this
anymore,” many of the angry legislators fumed on
that day.
With the sense of outrage over the treatment of
their presiding officer, boiling over, members on
that day immediately commenced the collection of
signatures for the impeachment of the president.
President Goodluck Jonathan
By the end of the day it was claimed that not less
than 120 signatures had been collected in support
of an impeachment notice to be served on the
president.
The move in the Senate, it was learnt has also
been subtly commenced in the Senate. Senators
were not the least provoked by the action of the
police which some senators say is a clear
violation of the Legislative Powers Act which
forbids anyone from obstructing legislators from
the performance of their duties.
Senators indicate interest
No fewer than 20 senators are believed to have
signed a motion seeking to institute impeachment
proceedings against the president.
A senator said already “more than 20 of us have
signed the motion and we are edging closer to
getting 2/3.”
It was gathered that the impeachment notice is
being collated by a senator from one of the states
of the South West geo-political zone.
“We are determined to take it to whatever level
because things cannot continue like this,” he
said.
Based on provisions of the 1999 Constitution, 1/3
of Senators must append their signatures to the
motion before the president can be served the
impeachment notice.
Consequently, 36 of the 109 members are required
to activate the process of impeachment in the
Senate, our correspondent reports.
Jonathan’s sins
Members of the House who initiated the move are
said to have identified over 50 constitutional
violations against the president, which would
form part of the impeachment notice.
A ranking officer in the House who revealed this
said both chambers have resolved to work
together for the common good of the country by
impeaching President Jonathan for “incompetence,
corruption and unprecedented impunity.”
He revealed that the impeachment plot against
the president was not a partisan affair, explaining
that lawmakers from all the political parties have
identified with the “cause” and will not give up
until the President is “sent packing.”
“I’m sure you read the reports today that
senators are going to move against Jonathan.
Now you can confirm that the impeachment thing
is not about APC. It is a non-partisan cause. We
have all resolved that the man (President
Jonathan) must go.
“Never in the history of Nigeria has a leader
displayed such crass incompetence as we have
seen in President Jonathan. It is glaring and you
can feel it. Mr. President, with due respect, has
shown that he is not capable of running this
country. That is the basic truth”, he stated.
According to the lawmaker, over 50 impeachable
offences have been identified against the
president and members of the House would work
closely with the Senate to ensure that the
president is impeached.
APC lawmakers join fight
Lawmakers from the opposition All Progressives
Congress (APC) have also joined in the agitation.
The Minority Leader of the House and the leader
of the APC Caucus, Femi Gbajabiamila, vowed
that the opposition will not go to sleep in the
House.
In a statement entitled: “We Will Continue to be
Vigilant Against Unlawful Tactics of Jonathan,’
Gbajamiamila expressed sadness over the events
that led himself and other members into scaling
over the National Assembly gate before gaining
entrance into the National Assembly penultimate
Thursday.
Though the members may have obtained the 120
benchmark needed to commence the removal
process of the president, it remains doubtable if
the members would go on with the plan given the
grave implications that it may entail.