Politics

Nigeria: Lawmakers walk out of plenary, threaten to impeach President Buhari over insecurity

Published

2 years ago

July 27, 2022

Following the continuous state of insecurity in Nigeria, Senators from opposition parties have given President Buhari issued a six-week ultimatum to tackle the security challenges bedevilling the country.

Senator Phillip Aduda, who is the Minority Leader of the Senate, made the position of the lawmakers known on Wednesday while briefing reporters at the National Assembly in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

Despite being one of the major campaign promises of president Muhammadu Buhari, Terrorist activities have taken an upward trend in Nigeria since the deadly Boko Haram sect based in North-Eastern Nigeria, which is also active in Chad, Niger and northern Cameroon was founded in 2002.

The lawmakers staged a walkout after a call to impeach President Buhari by Senator Aduda was overruled by the Senate president, Ahmed Lawan during Wednesday’s plenary.

They also threatened to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Buhari should he fail to address the insecurity within the period given by the lawmakers.

According to Statista, “between 2011 and 2021, Boko Haram was responsible for thousands of deaths in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. Nigeria is the country most affected by the terrorist group’s attacks.

Impeachment process in Nigeria is quite long with a first step been a notice of any allegation “gross misconduct” which must be signed by at least two-third of the legislative house, after which it must be served to the president within seven days. The president has up to fourteen days to respond to the notice before the process can continue.

Nigeria since political independence has never had a political executive at the federal level impeached. The closest it has come was under former president Olusegun Obasanjo, who famously escaped impeachment process. Is the evident state of insecurity in Nigeria under President Buhari enough ground for his impeachment, particularly since the Nigerian constitution says “the security and welfare of the Nigerian shall be the primary purpose of government”?

Related Topics:Featured Nigeria President Buhari

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Politics

Mali’s junta names spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga new Prime Minister

Published

11 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

A day after dismissing Choguel Maiga for criticising the government, Mali’s governing junta named its spokesperson, Abdoulaye Maiga, as Prime Minister on Thursday, according to state broadcaster, ORTM.

A source close to Choguel Maiga told Reuters that the ruling generals were incensed by Maiga’s remarks over the weekend denouncing the junta’s inability to hold elections within the 24-month timeframe given for the return to democracy.

After promising to hold elections in February, the military authorities, who took control in two separate coups in 2020 and 2021, have put off the poll indefinitely, citing technological difficulties.

Choguel Maiga’s firing coincides with indications of growing discontent and disarray among Mali politicians, even those who first supported the coup and collaborated with the junta.

As the wait for elections continues, Choguel Maiga, a civilian prime minister who was installed by the military junta in 2021, is the most recent to lose support.

He was cited on Saturday as claiming he learnt of the junta’s decision via the media and that there had been no discussion regarding the delay of the elections inside the cabinet.

“It’s all happening in total secrecy, without the prime minister’s knowledge,” Choguel Maiga told reporters.

Before then, he had frequently stood up for Mali’s junta against criticism from foreign friends and neighbours in West Africa who denounced its repeated election delays and military collaboration with Russian mercenaries.

As government spokesperson, Abdoulaye Maiga, the new prime minister, has also made strong public remarks against France, the previous colonial master. One such speech was demanding French President Emmanuel Macron to stop his “neocolonial” and “condescending” behaviour.

Abdoulaye Maiga and Assimi Goita, the leaders of the junta, announced they had kept all of the important cabinet ministers in their portfolios in the new administration in a statement that was broadcast on state television ORTM.

The announcement said that Abdoulaye Maiga will remain minister of territory administration.

Politics

Congo opposition mobilizes protests against constitution review

Published

1 day ago

November 21, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In response to President Felix Tshisekedi’s intentions to amend the constitution, opposition lawmakers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have called for national protests on Wednesday.

Tshisekedi, who was sworn in for his second and last term in January, said that a panel would be formed in October to recommend possible constitutional amendments.

According to critics, it may be a ploy to lift term restrictions and give him another chance to run.

Tshisekedi said the current constitution, ratified by a referendum in 2005, needed to change because it did not align with the country’s current realities.

Opposition politicians, including former president Joseph Kabila and past presidential candidates Martin Fayulu and Moise Katumbi, issued a unified statement on Wednesday urging rallies to “block” Tshisekedi.

A request for a response from the Congo’s presidency was not answered.

Patrick Muyaya, the minister of communications, stated on Monday that discussions surrounding the constitutional revision should be de-politicized and that no one should doubt the president’s intentions.

“We’re at the beginning of our mandate… The President of the Republic still has four years to go, and we must avoid attributing intentions to him,” Muyaya told reporters.