***As Oppositional Expands Dragnet, Lures APC Senators, Reps
***Party Panicks, Makes Quick Counter Moves
The dismissal of the impeachment threat by the minority caucuses of the Senate and the House of Representatives as infantile and laughable by Minister if Information and Culture Lai Mohammed, may turn out to be an albatross, as the matter is alive and is becoming stronger.
National Trail investigations reveal that, the matter is more than a joke and the storm is far from being over.
Opposition elements in the two Chambers have been networking with a view to winning members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to join the fray, with a lot from the APC being favorably disposed to the matter.
It is common knowledge that, the sudden adjournment of plenary by the leadership of the National Assembly might be a subtle move to thwart further plans against the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, whose removal is being feared might be a precursor for actualizing the impeachment plot.
Moves by the opposition to gain the support of APC Senators and Members seem to be gaining grounds as many of them have agreed to sign the impeachment notice in principles, when it is eventually compiled.
Sources amongst the opposition confirmed to us that, Senators who proclaim loyalty to President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President, Ahmed Lawan might just be paying lipservices to the duo, as indications emerged to the effect that members of the opposition party are neck deep into the plot to first remove the Senate President, before moving against President Muhammadu Buhari.
Many Nigerians have cautioned against further heating up the polity with impeachment moves, even as the Government dismissed it as a joke taken too far.
Leader of the opposition in the House of Representatives, Honorable Ndudi Elumelu had faulted the Government’s position, stressing that the days ahead will prove the Government wrong.
Our investigations reveal that most members of the opposition have remained behind in Abuja, as part of moves to facilitate easier networking, while some APC members, are also making moves to sell the idea further, as the only possible move that could make President Buhari become alive to his responsibilities.
At a meeting shortly after they walked out of the Senate Chambers, during the ill-fated move by Senate minority leader, Philip Aduda to raise a motion on point of urgent National importance, agreed to move ahead no matter the resistance to it.
According to one of them, they hope to present signatures of at least 75 Senators on resumption of plenary in September for the immediate removal of the Senate President and for the impeachment notice on President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said, a committee is already compiling the list of impeachable offences against the President, with another one drafting the notice, with a view to finalizing everything by the time plenary resumes in September.
The issue of insecurity, political instability, economic downturn, rising debt profile, alleged constitutional breaches, amongst other issues, might be amongst the reasons for moving against the President, our correspondent learnt.
A principal stakeholder of the ruling APC, however told our correspondent that, the views expressed by the Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, were purely his personal views, as President Muhammadu Buhari has since commenced damage control moves to stave off the threat, even as has directed the APc leadership to wade into the matter.
Our sources confirmed that, already, the party has penciled down some senators and members of the House of Representatives to reach out to, for possible reconcilation initiatives.
The National chairman of the ruling party, Abdullahi Adamu, we learnt, who is a colleague of the legislators in the National Assembly plans to beat the recalcitrant members into line, and ensure party supremacy is used to choke the impeachment moves.
A top party leader who spoke to us on conditions of keeping his name out of print, said, the party does not regard the move as a joke, rather, as a serious threat to the party’s fortunes, hence the move to initiate reconcilation with all agrieved Senators and House Of Representatives members within the APC fold.
“Lai Mohammed is only gravitating towards more trouble, but we know there are problems on our hands and we are working to calm frayed nerves and nib the matter in the bud”, he said.
On his part, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan may have taken steps to not only save his neck, but to stave off likely degeneration of the crisis of confidence, that seems to be trailing his unceremonious halting of the motion by the Minority Leader of the Senate, Philip Aduda.
Our correspondent reports that, the Senate President has called for a meeting of the Senate Leadership after the dramatic walkout by the opposition, where he was reminded of the unpopularity of his action.
“We have advised him on the best thing to do in the given circumstance, to win the hearts of our colleagues, who might not have openly came out to take sides with the opposition in the Senate, but who might have instigated the action in the first place,” one of them told us.
Lawan is also said to have held a private audience with President Muhammadu Buhari, which resulted in the Security meeting summoned soon after the National Assembly palaver.
Recent changes in the Command structure of the Nigerian Army might not be unconnected with part of moves by the President to decisively confront the security situation in the country generally, ahead of the 2023 General elections.
As it is, the Presidency is virtually at the edge of it’s chairs, as Nigerians await the resumption if plenary by the Senators.
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