By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have continued to trade tackles over the recent call from the PDP House of Representatives caucus on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign following the wave of insecurity in the country
The hPDP has stressed that the call by its caucus in the House of Representatives asking Nigerians to direct their representatives, across party lines, to commence impeachment process against President Muhammadu Buhari is constitutional and democratic.
The PDP caucus in the of Representatives led by Hon. Kingsley Chinda had over the weekend called for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari over the heightened security challenges in the country.
Supporting the motion, the party in a statement on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said that the call is a direct reflection of the mood and desires of the Nigerian people, given President Buhari, manifest failure in all spheres of governance and particularly in failing to provide an effective leadership that can guarantee the security of the nation and rescue which is on imminent collapse.
The party said that it had always called on the federal legislators in the House of Representatives and the Senate, irrespective of political affiliations, to stand on the side of the people by deploying the legislative instruments provided in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to rescue the ship of state.
“The Buhari administration had already accepted failure as reflected in the declaration by one of its officials, that the nation is now at the mercy of bandits and terrorists, a development that signals that is has outlived its usefulness.
“President Buhari is elected by the people; his stay in office is also dependent on the people as vested on them by the Constitution, through their elected representatives in the National Assembly”.
The PDP urged Nigerians to eschew all primordial sentiments and stand for the nation at this critical time.
*Re: President Buhari, National Assembly On Same Page In Tackling Insecurity*
But APC in a swift response noted that it has no intention of joining issues with a crass statement credited to Kingsley Chinda, a purported factional “leader” of the PDP Caucus in the House of Representatives in which he has resorted to denigrate the office and person of the President by name-calling and insults.
APC in a statement issued by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena said “Chinda’s insensitive and callous intention is to play politics with the grief of citizens in the aftermath of the recent, gruesome and condemnable killings of some defenceless farmers in Zabarmari, Borno state by Boko Haram. The APC will not join Chinda and his PDP backers on this evil and ignoble road.
“We have since learnt that Chinda does not even have the support of any of the PDP House factions he claims to head. He is a lone, rejected voice. The House of Representatives has already dismissed Chinda’s rant as illogical, self-serving and a ploy to derail the proposed visit of the President to the House.
“The leadership of the National Assembly, the President and Armed Forces which the president heads as Commander in chief are on the same page in takling emerging security situations in the country and ensure the safety of all Nigerians.”