The northern caucus in the house of representatives has denied reports that it plans to initiate an impeachment process against the speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, if he fails to support the controversial water resources bill.
Gatekeepers News reports that a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and chairman of the northern caucus, Sarki Ardar had raised a point of privilege during the plenary calling the attention of his colleagues to an online report.
The lawmaker noted that the report alleged that northern lawmakers who are “bent on making sure the bill succeeds” have “plotted” to impeach Gbajabiamila if he does not support the proposed legislation to pass second reading.
The chairman of the committee on rules and business, Hassan Fulata while also speaking against the allegation of impeachment, described it as “cheap blackmail”.
“Nobody can dictate to this house what it can do. We cannot take from our members and we cannot take from a foreign imperialist. Nobody can tell us how to do our job,” he said.
“All members are solidly behind speaker Gbajabiamila. Some of us suffered tremendously in the last assembly. There is no way we will impeach Femi because of the so-called water resources bill. This is cheap blackmail.
“If the bill passes, fine. If the bill fails to pass, fine. It will be based on solid arguments.”
The deputy speaker of the house, Idris Wase who presided over plenary, also said he was not aware of any plot to impeach the speaker.
Wase said the report was “implanted” as a “gang-up” against members of the house.
“There is nothing like that going on to the best of my knowledge. I am a northerner,” he said.
“I want to plead with my colleagues to toe the line of what has been mentioned to us; to trust one another; to believe that we are working as a family.
“We should not be carried by emotions and sentiments towards dividing us. We remain the symbol of democracy in this country and in any nation, the parliament is a symbol of democracy.
“For me, I want to say we are one, and we are one in terms of our activities.”
Briefing journalists after plenary, Ardar said the report is full of “malicious lies aimed at planting a seed of discord among Nigerians”.
He said Gbajabiamila enjoys the support of all the members of the lower parliament and asked the news outlet to “retract the publication and apologise to the national assembly and northern lawmakers”.
On his part, Ndudi Elumelu, minority leader of the house, said there is no plan to impeach Gbajabiamila, adding that the lawmakers are united to support the federal government to tackle insecurity.
