The spending $496m without parliamentary approval has pitched Pres. Buhari against the House of Representatives with most members calling for the impeachment of the President, Thenation reports.
Following the reading of President Buhari’s request in a letter by Speaker Yakubu Dogara at Tuesday’s plenary informing the House that $496m had been spent for the procurement of military aircraft from the U.S, lawmakers could not hide their disdain for what they called breach of the constitution by the President.
According to Buhari, the expenditure was made in anticipation that the Green Chamber would approve it, as part of the 2018 Appropriation Bill, currently before the National Assembly.
Kingsley Chinda, (PDP, Rivers) in a a point of order said the President’s action was an infraction against the 1999 Constitution( as amended) that should not be treated with levity.
Saying that an impeachment proceedings should be initiated against President Buhari, he added, “There is no where in our law that talked about anticipatory approval. We cannot seat down and allow this to take place.
You are talking about anticipatory approval, is this House a rubber stamp? It is an impeachable offence. There is no infraction that is worse than this. Let us not continue to sleep. I propose that we commence impeachment on Mr President”.
Sunday Karimi (PDP, Kogi) said the President should be ready to face the consequences of impeachment, “This is the time to tell the President that we have been elected to serve our people.”
Sergius Ogun (PDP, Edo) said “Chuba Okadigbo was impeached for anticipatory approval. We are not a lame duck House”.
However, Speaker Yakubu Dogara ruled that the House would go by its rules and the letter would go to second reading before a decision is taken on it.
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