The House of Representatives has announced that member Kingsley Chinda will be reprimanded for calling on the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Chinda is presently the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), House of Reps Caucus ,and represents Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency in Rivers State.
In a statement on December 7, he had urged Nigerians to compel their representatives to commence impeachment processes against the president. This decision was spearheaded by the increased state of insecurity nationwide.
Ado Doguwa the House Majority Leader during plenary on Monday said that Chinda was not representing the position of the PDP caucus of the House as he claims and took this stance alone.
He also noted that the President’s decision not to honour the House was due to the advocacy of the lawmaker calling for his impeachment, and concerns that the President would be embarrassed If he honoured the invitation.
Chinda, however, faulted the bid, saying that the threat is a call for sanctioning all Nigerians. In response to Doguwa, he said
”I will ask again, whether the call for the impeachment of Mr. President is unpopular with the people of Nigeria today and if truly we are not supposed to speak for the people, regardless of what our personal position is? I will also ask whether it is unconstitutional for a member to call for the president’s impeachment?
”I will also ask if the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Ado Doguwa, is a PDP member or the mouthpiece of PDP as to say that’s not the position of PDP.
“Is the Leader of the House, Ado Doguwa, the spokesperson of the executive or the mouthpiece for him to give reasons why the president reneged on his promise to brief the House?”
According to him, contrary to Doguwa’s claim, Malami gave a different reason why the president should not honour the invitation.
”His (Doguwa) call for a disciplinary measure is a call to discipline all Nigerians who believe that President Buhari is no longer fit for purpose. So, these questions if they are answered I will give a response. These are the questions troubling me and I need answers to it.”
The PDP also weighed in, cautioning the House against punishing Chinda for calling for Buhari’s impeachment over his alleged failure to secure the nation. The party described the impeachment call as not only constitutional, but it representing the opinion of the caucus and the party. Also saying it was shameful that the House had reduced itself to the mouthpiece of the Buhari presidency.
In relation, the House spokesman Benjamin Kalu, earlier described Chinda’s call as the “opinion of a single member of the opposition party in the house.” Saying calls for impeachment were not logical as the President is yet to appear before the House to explain what his administration is doing to address the issues of insecurity.
