Nigerians have advised President Muhammadu Buhari to tackle the worsening insecurity in the country rather than attacking members of the opposition who want him impeached.
The advice was given following the statement by the Presidency on Thursday, describing the impeachment move Wednesday by the opposition lawmakers in the Senate as “performative and babyish antics.”
Senators on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Wednesday, called for the impeachment of President Buhari over the worsening insecurity. They gave the President six weeks to curb insecurity or face a formal notice of impeachment from them.
Those who spoke with BusinessDay said they were disappointed that President Buhari, who, according to them, should have been impeached long ago over manifest incompetence, still had the boldness to attack those calling for his sack.
Ebenezer Babatope, a former minister of transportation, said the PDP was not concerned about impeaching the President Buhari but was more concerned about winning next year’s presidential election.
Babatope stressed that President Buhari should be more concerned about why the National Assembly members are threatening to impeach him.
He added that it was obvious that President Buhari and his administration were clueless on how to deal with the spate of security across the country at the moment.
He said: “The PDP is more concerned about how to win next year’s presidential election; we are preparing to do that. We are not concerned or bothered about impeaching Buhari for the sake of it. If the federal lawmakers are planning to impeach Buhari let him ask them what he did?
“That should be the normal question, rather than saying something else. I don’t think Buhari has a solution to the security problem we are facing now. Perhaps, it is only God that we can look up to.”
Adewale Adebowale, a member of the National Working Committee of the Action Democratic Party, said the lukewarm attitude of those in authority, shows that President Buhari do not understand the magnitude of security challenges the country was facing presently.
Adebowale, however, stressed that there was the need for concerted effort from all stakeholders toward finding a lasting solution to the problem, noting that the current situation could not continue.
He said: “I think the President and his Ministers do not understand the enormity of the security threat we are facing now, because if they do, they would act fast.
“Did you hear that these guys are in Abuja? They have camps around that area and we saw the attacks on soldiers during the week. This should tell you even Aso Rock is not safe.
“If it was in a serious country, this man would have resigned. That comment is just a diversion from the real issue. I will advise him to engage stakeholders towards finding a lasting solution to the problem at hand.”
Ola Adigun, a public affairs analyst, said it was insulting for Buhari’s men to continue to think that Nigeria was still where it was in 2015 when the All Progressives Congress came to power on the crest of “propaganda.”
“I think what is happening is that President Buhari and his minders still believe the country is still where they deceived all of us in 2015. Even nursery school children in Nigeria today know too well that the country is rudderless without any leader,” Adigun said.
He said: “If you are talking about impeachment moves against Buhari, it is long overdue. If it were in other climes, he would not have even survived four years let alone going for a second term. The stench of his incompetence is all over the place.
“If not the rubber-stamp type of the National Assembly the country is saddled with, President Buhari should have gone long ago. They have destroyed the country and still pretending there is a government. Whether the impeachment move succeeds or not, it is on record that Nigerians have rejected him (the President).”
Mark Adebayo, national publicity secretary of the Coalition of United Parties, lamented that the security situation has got out of hand, as terrorists have now invaded Abuja.
He commended the move to impeach President Buhari, adding that it was long overdue.
Read also: Buhari seeks PDP lawmakers’ support to tackle insecurity
“If the lawmakers would succeed is not the issue, but I think they may not go ahead. As far as I am concerned, impeaching President Buhari is long overdue. Every aspect of our nation has collapsed. Insecurity is glaring, except at the seat of power.
This President and the cabal barred a sitting governor from coming to see Buhari in Aso Rock since last year because the governor has been very vocal condemning the obvious plot to overrun Nigeria for certain interests,” Adebayo said.
The activist stressed that President Buhari should have resigned honourably because of the unfortunate state of affairs, adding that Nigerians were deceived to elect him into office in 2015.
“If it were in advanced societies where leaders have integrity, Buhari should not have contested for a second term. He was sold to us as somebody of integrity but his integrity is gone. I doubt the impeachment will succeed. There is no consensus. I think it is too late; he has less than eight months, maybe they should allow him to spend his remaining time. Let’s allow him to go and rest, I doubt if he would even go to Daura because they can even kidnap him easily there,” he added.
Tope Musowo, a public affairs analyst, pointed out that what was happening was a failure of governance, stressing that it was shocking that President Buhari despite his promises to tackle insecurity in Nigeria was clueless on what to do.
Musowo said: “They promised to fight insecurity, corruption and revamp education; but today, nowhere is safe in Abuja, except Aso Rock. He was in Liberia to speak on security; what moral stand does Buhari have to speak on security?”
He advised President Buhari to resign honourably since he has no solution to Nigeria’s security challenges.
He said: “The government should secure the lives of Nigerians, which is the primary responsibility of any government, when they fail, they should resign. Buhari should walk away; he should not wait for his tenure to elapse. If it were in the western society, he would have resigned since.
“When he was in opposition he was busy talking and boasting. If you can’t do the work that Nigerians elected you to do, walk away to your house and let Nigeria be.”
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