PDP, APC ‘clash’ over byelections, call for Buhari’s impeachment

The PDP said call to commence impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari is constitutional.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said 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 party also flayed Presidency for saying that the All Progressives Congress (APC) swept last Saturday’s by-elections, describing it as another desperate measure to divert public attention from its alleged manifest failures.

• Angry youths destroy Benue APC chairman’s house, cars over death of domestic worker
• Call for Buhari’s sack, a lone voyage by Chinda – House Spokesperson

The party, in a statement on Monday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the call for Buhari’s impeachment was a direct reflection of the mood and desires of the Nigerians people.

“As a party, the PDP had always called on our 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’s 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 it has outlived its usefulness,” the party said.

But reacting, the APC in a statement by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, said: “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.”

Byelection issues

In another statement issued on Monday, in reaction to Presidency’s statement that the APC swept last Saturday’s by-elections, Ologbondiyan said: “Perhaps Mr President’s handlers ought to have informed him that out of the six senatorial byelections, the PDP freely swept three in free, fair and credible contests, while the APC only muscle the other three in polls that were marred by manifest irregularities and rigging.

“Moreover, the PDP is in clear lead in Zamfara where the INEC returning officer, Prof. Ibrahim Magatawa, openly betrayed the plot between INEC and APC to allocate votes for the APC and rig the Bakura State Constituency byelection.”