The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday hailed the decision of the two chambers of the National Assembly ( NASS ) to invite President Muhammadu Buhari to a joint session over alleged constitutional violations.
At the planned session, the President will also be required to discuss security issues, particularly the unprovoked killings by herdsmen in Benue, Taraba, Plateau, Adamawa, Nasarawa and other states.
In a statement issued by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said the decision to invite the President was in consonant with the mood of the nation and the expectations of Nigerians.
โMore so, the vote of no confidence passed on the Service Chiefs by federal lawmakers is a direct indictment of President Buhari, as a failed commander in chief of our armed forces, who must be held responsible for the security failures of our nation in the last three years.
โPresident Buhari has roundly failed in his oath of office and allegiance. He has roundly failed to dress his parade as a commander-in-chief in the last three years and must not be allowed to hide behind the Service Chiefs for his failures.
โNigerians are very eager to listen to President Buhari and watch him respond to them through their National Assembly members. We therefore harbour no reservations in urging the federal lawmakers, as representatives of the people, not to succumb to any form of executive intimidation, blackmail and pressure to surrender their constitutional powers and duties.
โSection 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) fully empowers the National Assembly, as the collective voice and conscience of the people, to summon any person, including the President, to give evidence on any matter of state and to apply appropriate sanctions for noncompliance,โ the statement said.
The party urged the President to take questions and address the nation in an open session at the National Assembly, stressing that matters of security were of paramount importance to Nigerians.
The party added: โNigerians are eager to know why the Buhari administration is completely insensitive to their plight and why it has refused to take decisive steps to end the ceaseless killing and daily pillaging of citizens by insurgents and marauders.
โThey are also eager to know why President Buhari, particularly, failed to act on intelligence reports and danger signs from flash points, particularly in Benue, Taraba, Yobe, Adamawa, Plateau, Zamfara, Kogi among others; a development that paved the way for the massacre of helpless citizens in these states.
โFurthermore, Nigerians are anxious to know why it took President Buhari months before he visited the troubled states; allowed his handlers to turn supposed condolence visits into political rallies to further his ill-fated 2019 re-election bid.
โWe commend the courage exhibited by our lawmakers in initiating the constitutional process on the violations of our constitution particularly in the controversial Tucano fighter jets purchase deal and in summoning Mr. President to shed light on his efforts at curbing the endless mindless killings across our nation.
โFinally, we charge our legislators to note that Nigerians are looking up to them to rescue our nation at this critical time. They must therefore brace up to the imperatives of patriotism and set in motion necessary machinery that will ensure security and cohesion in our country.โ
