HERDSMEN KILLINGS: COURT OKAYS SUIT SEEKING BUHARI’S IMPEACHMENT
A suit seeking to compel the National Assembly to begin the process of impeaching President Muhammadu Buhari, for alleged constitutional breaches, has been okayed by the Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State Capital, on Wednesday.
In a court ruling, Justice Maurine Onyetenu, granted the plaintiffs the leave to seek an order of mandamus to compel the National Assembly to begin the process of sacking Buhari.
The judge gave the leave following an ex parte application taken before her by the Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Ilesa Branch, Mr. Kanmi Ajibola, and a human rights activist, Mr. Suleiman Adeniyi.
The two activists had, about three months ago, written to the Senate and the House of Representatives asking the two legislative chambers to impeach Buhari and commence the process of removing him.
But due to their failure to begin the process to remove the President, the plaintiffs approached the court seeking the leave of the court to apply for a mandamus order against the National Assembly to do the needful.
The plaintiffs said Buhari had breached his constitutional obligation by failing to stop the continuous massacres in many parts of the country.
They argued that the failure of the President to stop the massacres; spending without the approval of the National Assembly and some other allegations constituted impeachable offences and the lawmakers must begin the process of removing the President.
The duo deposed to a 44-paragraph affidavit in support of the motion ex parte filed before the court.
The affidavit read in part, “In the light of the 4th respondent’s (Buhari) placement to continue in the office as the President, he has no certificate and basic requirement upon which this placement to continue in the office can be placed.
“The 4th respondent, on the 29th day of May 2015, took an oath of office, among others, to the effect that he would rule in accordance to and protect the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, particularly Section 14 (2)(b), which stipulates that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
“On the contrary, the 4th respondent has proved to be unable to guarantee the security of lives and properties of the citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in fulfilment of his oath of office.”
The herdsmen killings of innocent citizens under the 4th respondent have been uncountable, unbearable and unprecedented.
However, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Wednesday, said he was not aware of an order of mandamus granted by a court for the National Assembly to begin impeachment process against President Buhari.
Mohammed said this while answering questions from State House correspondents at the end of the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“I’m just hearing it from you. I will have to read it myself,” the minister said
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