Senate threatens to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan

The Senate yesterday drew the battle line with the presidency pledging to use constitutional powers to enforce its resolutions directed at the good governance of the nation.

Yesterday’s charged session was upon recent comments made by administration officials on the powerlessness of legislative resolutions. The legislative body in a retort to claims by Information Minister, Labaran Maku that the administration was forging ahead with the production of the N5,000 bank note drew his attention to the fact that he was a mere appointee unlike legislators who were in office on the mandate of the people.


For the first time since the advent of the present senate, the threat of impeachment against President Goodluck Jonathan was made when Senator Uche Chukwumerije, PDP, Abia North disclosed that some senators were already mobilizing signatures for an impeachment notice should the president continue to disregard the actions and counsels of the senate.

Senator Chukwumerije, who noted that impeachment of the President would be the last option if the resolutions were not implemented, said: “the Ahmad Lawan report is the highest moral ground of the Seventh Senate. It was that report that convinced everybody, the public that the hope for this country lies with the Senate; that there is still one body that is concerned with the nation which lies far above sectionalism.

“The pattern in this country all along has been one of siphoning of funds through all sorts of legal subtleties to private pockets and private companies.

“And for the first time, there was a bold report that exposed the rot and we called for a reversal of this pattern; unfortunately, it is business as usual. It is, therefore, in the interest of this Senate that in addition to what we are doing on this Act as we are doing now, we must pass a resolution calling the attention of Mr. President to the main body of that report.

“Two weeks ago, we started collecting signatures, and if we collect up to two-third of the Senate, we are going to get a motion that would give marching orders to Mr. President for the implementation of the report or else… We are getting to that stage. They are looting public funds with impunity and nobody is saying anything.

“If the President keeps on not implementing resolutions of the Senate, if it gets to the point of threatening impeachment, I, Uche Chukwumerije will move the motion.” Co-sponsor of the bill, Senator Lawan said the bill was sequel to the investigation the senate carried out on the activities of the BPE from 1999 to 2011.