Alexander Okere, Benin
The lawmaker representing Edo South senatorial district in the National Assembly, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, has denied calling for President Muhammadu Buhari’s impeachment.
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Urhoghide disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists at the Benin Airport in Edo State.
Some senators had on Thursday reportedly called for the impeachment of Buhari for allowing the withdrawal of $496m from the Excess Crude Account to purchase military aircraft without the approval of the National Assembly.
The Edo lawmaker, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, had reportedly moved a motion for the impeachment by urging the Senate to invoke Section 143.
The senator’s comments had generated criticisms and a protest by some pro-Buhari groups in the state.
It had also resulted in a clash between supporters of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party at the airport on Friday evening, which the lawmaker was almost entangled in.
But Urhoghide stated that he had only urged the Senate to invoke the relevant section of the Constitution so that President Buhari could explain why he took the decision to purchase the 12 aircrafts.
He explained, “The President had a good intention of buying the equipment but the procedure was wrong. And he too has accepted that it was wrong. We (lawmakers) swore to uphold the Constitution.
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“An impeachment, if you check Section 143, is a long process. The first thing is you have to do an investigation and then correspondences will be entered into; the President has to be written by the President of the Senate, who is the chairman of the National Assembly.
“Then, of course, he (Buhari) too will reply and this has to go on for a long time. We have not reached this issue of an impeachment. Nobody on the floor of the Senate mentioned that the President should be impeached.”
The senator also faulted the comments of critics, adding that it would be ignorant to move for an impeachment without following the due process.
He said, “So if the papers said that somebody said that the President should be impeached, it is out of ignorance. I am very proud to be a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing Edo South senatorial district.
“As the Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, all revenues and expenditure fall on my table. So, this is part of it. So, they (critics) should be proud that this is what it is. The Constitution is above every person. So, we have not reached the point of impeachment.”
Urhoghide further explained, “That was why the Senate President said that we should refer it to the judiciary, so that it would advise on what to do. So, an impeachment is not the first thing; if I come and even say that the President should be impeached, I am ignorant.
“Section 143 is a very long section. So, if you look at the processes, you will know that it will take a lot of actions. So, if I moved a motion that the President should be impeached, then I must be stupid.
“I only said, ‘Invoke Section 143’ so that processes will be followed; the President will still explain and the National Assembly will still have do some enquiries.”
source http://www.punchng.com/496m-aircraft-i-didnt-call-for-buharis-impeachment-senator-urhoghide/
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