National Assembly denies plot to impeach Buhari

The National Assembly Wednesday said it was untrue that it was plotting to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking on Sunrise Daily on Channels Television, the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Hon. Razak Atunwa said the joint executive session of the two chambers of the Assembly was held to debate national issues and to agree on a resolution.

The lawmaker representing Asa/Ilorin West constituency in Kwara State said the session only dealt with governance matters and issues that would deepen democracy in Nigeria.

“No one mentioned anything about impeaching the president,” he said.

“We dealt on governance matters, matter deepening our democracy. And we came out with resolutions. Those are more important matters to the country. It was all in the interest of the country, clearly the interest of the country.”

He described claims of the National Assembly wanting to impeach the president as “inaccurate and disingenuous”.

“Some say we threatened the president, we never threatened anyone indeed. We only agreed on resolutions and ascertained the president takes them and acts upon them.”

He said the National Assembly will only do what it is constitutionally empowered to do, to ensure there is a security of lives and properties, as well as rebuking fear and intimidation from anyone to its citizens.

“In the resolutions, nothing like impeachment was mentioned, because we can make laws and ensure concerned agencies carry out their responsibilities. None of us mentioned impeachment in our debate at the joint session.”

When asked about Saraki’s recent allegation in relation to the Offa robbery incident, the lawmaker said it was a coincidence the joint session was held in the same period.

He said it was unfair for the inspector-general of police to have declined invitations to appear before the Senate.

Atunwa asked “Is it a crime to ask for the security of the people? Thousands of people being killed. The Importance of the joint session should not be attributed to politics between government arms.”

However, a policy analyst, Aliyu Abdullahi on the same programme countered Hon. Atunwa claims, saying that National Assembly resolutions are more of threats to the presidency and not in the interest of the people.