Shocker: APC senator backs plan to impeach Buhari

Adamu Bulkachuwa, an All Progressives Congress (APC) senator, has said the threat by opposition senators to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari is the last and necessary option left for the lawmakers.

The senator, who represents Bauchi North, said he and his colleagues had tried in many ways to help the executive – and by extension, the president – to tackle insecurity in the country to no avail.

In an interview with Channels TV on Monday, Mr Bulkachuwa said it was time to remind Mr Buhari that they – the legislature – still have constitutional power to “pull his ears and show that he still cares.”

Earlier, another APC senator from Adamawa State, Elisha Abbo, had publicly backed the impeachment plan, principlally being driven by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in the Senate.

Mr Bulkachuwa’s comment on Monday came about five days after opposition senators, comprising mostly PDP senators and their colleagues from other politcal parties, staged a walkout of Senate plenary in protest against the state of insecurity in the country.

Their exit was sequel to the decision of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, to dismiss a motion on insecurity and a plan to impeach the president raised by the Senate Minority Leader, Philip Aduda.

The senators, after exiting the chamber, gave the president a six-week ultimatum to tackle insecurity in the country or risk being impeached.

Although, the walkout and threat was made by opposition senators, Mr Bulkachuwa was part of the group.

The issues of insecurity and proposed impeachment discussed during Last Wednesday’s executive session was supported by “majority of senators present”, Mr Bulkachuwa said, “including APC senators.”

“We in the legislature, we have tried all within our power – except one thing,” he continued.

The lawmakers said the National Assembly had given its support it could muster to ensure the president had all he needed by way of budgeting.

He said they had also tried to engage service chiefs and other security personnel “to find out what their problems are and when they tell us, we try to find solutions and also advise the president accordingly.”

He expressed disappointment at how the options had not worked and security in the country had only gotten worse.

“Even the financial situation in the country is not improving. We are just one arm of government and are limited in the execution of proposals and actual enforcement of laws.

“So what we can do is remind the executive that we have a constitutional responsibility to pull your ears by way of notice of impeachment and give you chance to see that you care.”

When asked if the six-week ultimatum given to the president was enough to tackle the growing insecurity in the country, the senator hoped that “something could happen.”

He said Mr Buhari, had since then, “met with service chiefs and within the security apparatus, so many changes have occurred.”

Mr Bulkachuwa is the second APC senator to publicly support the impeachment plan.

Last week, Adamawa senator, Mr Abbo, also said he supported the impeachment move against the president because Mr Buhari “has failed in his fundamental responsibility to secure the lives and property of the people.”

Although, another APC senator, Smart Adeyemi, had disclosed that the move for impeachment was a collective decision of the entire Senate, not many have of them have spoken on the matter.

The move for impeachment comes on the heels of attacks across the country and security threats in the federal capital.

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