“Where the President fails to fulfil his constitutional duties as stated above, we demand he step aside…”
A coalition of 42 civil society organizations has called on President Muhamadu Buhari to deal with issues of insecurity across the country or risk impeachment.
The CSOs, on Monday, warned that they would prevail on the National Assembly to commence the impeachment process if Buhari failed to resolve the protracted insecurity that has forced the country on its knees.
The coalition includes Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Growth & Advancement (YIAGA), BudgiT Foundation Youth Initiative for Advocacy and others.
While delivering the brief on behalf of the CSOs, Mr Jaiye Gaskia, of United Action for Democracy (UAD) condemned the reports of alleged payment of ransom to bandits in exchange for the release of kidnapped Nigerians.
“Where the President fails to fulfil his constitutional duties as stated above, we demand he step aside or the National Assembly initiates impeachment proceedings against him on grounds of gross misconduct as provided for in Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the statement reads in part.
The CSOs also called the federal government to seek international support in the fight against criminals and terrorists.
The coalition also condemned the statement by the Minister of Defence, Bashir Salihi Magashi who called on Nigerians to defend themselves.
“The government, through the Minister of Defence, has instead callously abdicated its responsibility and called Nigerian citizens ‘cowards’ and urged Nigerians to defend themselves.
“We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, what has now become the government’s standard state policy of using taxpayers’ money to pay terrorists thereby funding and encouraging terrorism and criminality.
“President Buhari and his government have failed in their primary duty under Section 14 2(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which is ensuring the security and welfare of the Nigerian people. Instead, under their watch, Nigeria is now a catalogue of bloodletting,” the coalition stated.
