Senators 'afraid' of removing Buhari after Saraki, Melaye, others
Saraki, Melaye and Shehu Sani have been linked to criminal cases. This has sent chills down the spines of Senators initially in support of Buhari's impeachment.
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This, the source said, is as a result of the recent treatment being meted out to Senate President Bukola Saraki and Senator Dino Melaye.
After two separate meeting on Monday, June 4, 2018, a source told TheCable that some lawmakers had proposed the commencement of President Buhari’s impeachment process over the purchase of two Tucano fighter jets without Senate’s approval amongst others.
The move was rejected by some members of the National Assembly who were “very jittery” following recent happenings in the polity.
Senator Melaye was accused of gunrunning, and Senator Shehu Saninamed in a murder case.
Gang leader responsible for the Offa robbery “linked Saraki” to the sad event which claimed 33 lives.
On the other hand, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has been accused of violating the Code of Conduct law by failing to declare his assets outside Nigeria.
“When we mooted the idea of impeaching Buhari at the meeting, you could see that our leaders were not comfortable. They are clearly shaken by the robbery charge against Saraki,” a senator told TheCable.
Melaye was the most vocal of the lawmakers in attendance.
The embattled Kogi lawmaker teased the “jittery”senators, telling them Buhari would soon come after them whether or not they defected from APC.
“Dino told Ekweremadu (PDP) that he was wasting his time thinking Buhari would pipe down. He also accused Senator Godswill Akpabio (PDP) of spending money like water to prevent his arrest as if that would solve his problem,” another senator told TheCable.
Also, aggrieved APC members who had plans to dump the party for the APC may have suspended their moves.
Senator Jonah Jang was recently arrested and remanded over alleged corruption.
Some were of the opinion that the best time for the APC senators to defect is now, insisting that public sympathy was with the opposition with the “persecution of those perceived to be politically opposed to Buhari”.
There are also fears of over-heating the polity should Buhari's impeachment procedure be instituted.
Pro-Buhari Senators are also against the move to remove the President.
Both chambers of the National Assembly are currently in an emergency joint session over "political tension" in the country.
The meeting is being held behind closed-doors.
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