Senators Walk Out Of Plenary After Lawan Dismissed Motion To Impeach Buhari [Video]

Over 20 Senators of the opposition parties walked out of the plenary session on Wednesday afternoon after the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, dismissed a motion on insecurity and impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Senators Stage Walkout Over Buhari’s impeachment

It was gathered that the lawmakers, mostly from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), walked out of the chamber on Wednesday after Lawan refused the Minority Leader, Senator Philip Aduda, to allow them to lead the motion on Buhari’s impeachment.

Aduda had raised a Point of Order, reminding the Senate of its resolutions taken after the closed-door session. He said the Senate was meant to address the issue of insecurity in the country and the efforts made so far to curtail the menace.

The Senate Minority leader said, “Mr. President, I raised this point of order to bring to the front burner, issues deliberated upon at the closed-door session.

“Resolution made by all senators at the closed-door session which lasted for two hours was to further deliberate on it in plenary and arrive at a resolution to give President Buhari ultimatum on an urgent basis to stop the worsening security situation or face impeachment.”

He was, however, quickly interrupted by the Senate President who said he did not follow the right procedure for raising a point of order.

“First, you’re supposed to cite the order. Second, you’re supposed to discuss the matter with me.…And we have passed that stage already,” Lawan said, noting that they have moved on to other businesses of the day.

Murmurings followed the development and the PDP senators – alongside other lawmakers of the opposition party – were seen leaving their seats, shouting and exiting the chamber.

As they made their way out of the chamber, the seemingly angry senators were chanting “All we are saying, Buhari must go, Nigeria must survive, Ahmad Lawan should follow.”

The protesting senators including Adamu Bulkachuwa (All Progressives Congress – Bauchi North) later gathered at the Senate Press Centre to disclose what transpired during the closed-door session.

Speaking on behalf of the senators, the Minority Leader, Philip Aduda, said their anger was fueled by the refusal of the Senate President to follow resolutions taken by senators across party lines at the closed-door session.

He said, “We are here to tell Nigerians that as senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we are disappointed with the way the worsening security situation across the country is being handled.

“We held a closed-door session for two hours, where it was resolved that the issue will be deliberated upon in plenary with an agreed resolution to give President Muhamnadu Buhari six weeks to address it or face impeachment by both chambers of the National Assembly.”

Aduda added, “Our walking out of the chamber is to express our disappointment in the way the matter was later handled by the Senate President.

“President Buhari has been given all he wanted in terms of adequate funding of the security agencies but nothing to show for it. He needs to shape up or ship out.”

Aside from all the PDP senators who participated in the walkout, other senators like Enyinnaya Abaribe (All Progressives Grand Alliance -Abia South), Ibrahim Shekarau ( New Nigeria Peoples Party – Kano Central), Francis Onyewuchi (Imo East), etc, also joined.

The exit of opposition lawmakers from the chamber did not stop senators of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from carrying on with proceedings for the day.

Watch the video below:

KanyiDaily recalls that the Northern Elders had earlier said that those around President Muhammadu Buhari should ask him to resign due to the alarming rate of insecurity and socio-economic problems facing the country.