Electoral Act: Impeach Buhari, Lawan, Gbajabiamila now, opposition coalition tells NASS

Obiora Ifoh, Abuja

The Coalition of United Political Parties CUPP has asked the National Assembly to commence the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Senate President Ahmed Lawan and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila over their role in the amendment of the Electoral Act.

The CUPP also raised the alarm over what it called credible intelligence at its disposal about alleged moves by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC to derail the 2019 general election.

According to the opposition coalition, the plot by these leaders was to force Nigerians to accept that there would be no electronic transmission of results in the 2023 general elections or to make it difficult for the Electoral Act amendment process to be completed in good time for the President to accent to it for use during the 2023 elections.

In a live world press conference, the Spokesperson of the Coalition, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere said “The information at our disposal includes the alleged late night exchange of ‘incentives’ to most of the National Assembly members in the Harmonization Committee to see to it that the electronic transmission of results does not see the light of the day.

“This is an insult on the sensibilities and sensitivities of the Nigerian people noting that this process of Electoral Act amendment commenced since 2016 and has not been completed 5 years after.”

He said the APC National Assembly members “have agreed to drag this process and get up to their next year’s annual vacation by which time, whereupon a claim that by the ECOWAS treaty electoral laws cannot be amended less than six months to elections, the process will terminate like they did for the 2019 election but this time with possibility of throwing the country into constitutional crisis.”

He therefore declared that Nigerians want electronic transmission of results, INEC is ready for it and has accepted it has capacity for it and the position is immutable.

He said that Nigerians will resist any attempt to rob the Independent National Electoral Commission of its constitutionally guaranteed independence by way of subjecting any of their activities to the political whims and caprices of the Nigerian Communications Commission.

“We warn the National Assembly members that God will condemn them and humanity will condemn them if they doctor the Electoral Act amendment process and remove the electronic transmission of results or if they refuse to complete this process within a reasonable time.”

He said that life was now so cheap in Nigeria that leaders do not even show empathy anymore and the people are becoming unfeeling since wanton killings has become the order of the day and every new death is taken for granted.

To actualize this goal, the group called on opposition lawmakers to work “in alliance with patriotic members who are imprisoned in the APC and seeking liberation to commence action and impeach the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila immediately.”

The CUPP alleged that both leaders of the chambers of the National Assembly have failed to guide their colleagues to act as checks and balances on the Executive rather reduced lawmakers that they do not have respect again as several members of the Executive ignore them even when they are officially summoned.

“Lawmakers are no longer respected and are ignored even when they officially  summon officials of the Executive because they are daily moving from office to office begging, blackmailing and grabbing anything and everything they can grab.”

He further claimed that the opposition group had filed a Suit at the Federal High Court to seek an order of mandamus to compel the National Assembly to perform its constitutional duty by Investigating the several allegations of gross misconduct against the President and impeaching him expressing hope that though the numbers seem impossible to muster, but some persons in APC are genuinely concerned with the current state of affairs in the country and would willingly join the impeachment moves.