Politics
Impeaching Buhari is as impossible as it was with Obassnjo, APC Chiefs
Ethnic and religious sentiments are bound to frustrate plans to remove President Muhammadu Buhari from office, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe has inferred.
He spoke against the background of what he admitted as the ethnic considerations that overshadowed the only serious plot ever taken to remove a president of Nigeria from office during the first term of the Olusegun Obasanjo presidency in 2002.
Ogunlewe, an All Progressives Congress, APC chieftain in Lagos State spoke on Arise Television on Thursday where he, however, sharply contrasted with another APC chieftain, Mr Adegoke SAN who affirmed that the Muhammadu Buhari government has grossly failed in its basic responsibility of protecting lives and property in Nigeria.
While Senator Ogunlewe blamed members of the National Assembly for not stemming the spate of insecurity, Adegoke on his part put the blame squarely on Buhari, saying that he could not leave the head to blame the neck for not thinking.
Ogunlewe spoke from a background of experience. He was elected to the Senate in 1999 on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy, AD and was a close associate of the former and popular Lagos politician, Funso Williams.
Following the then Governor BolaTinubu’s dominance of the party structure in Lagos towards the end of his first term, Ogunlewe and Williams exited the party to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Ogunlewe was appointed by President Olusegun Obasanjo as minister of works and became a thorn in the flesh of Governor Tinubu. He remained a chieftain of the PDP until just after the 2019 election when he defected to the APC.
Speaking against the background of the insecurity in the nation and the recent call by the minority elements in the Senate for Buhari to leave office, Ogunlewe in the interview smacked his former party stalwarts saying that their efforts would be in vain.
Speaking on the challenges involved in removing a president, he said the presiding officer, that is the Senate President or the Speaker would be pivotal to such a decision.
“The role and conviction of the presiding officer, the Senate President is very important. If he is not convinced that the process should go ahead, it is dead on arrival. So, he is the presiding officer and there is hardly anything anyone can do on the voice of the presiding officer.”
Noting the domineering influence of the Northern caucus and the ethnic flavours involved, he said:
“When it comes to impeachment and northern interest, it is a different kettle of fish entirely. They (northern caucus) would hold meetings at night and override you because they have the majority. So it is better for them to make the noise but my view is that it is just impossible.”.
Noting the ethnic factors that played out in the 2002 impeachment threat raised against Obasanjo in the Senate in 2000 and then more seriously in the House of Representatives, in September 2002.
Saturday Vanguard reports that the House of Representatives had prepared for the impeachment process by first appointing Hon. Farouk Lawan as the spokesman of the House who regaled the nation with several impeachable offences against Obasanjo.
Hon. Nduka Irabor, though seen at that time as part of the brain box of the House, had, however, called for caution from all sides saying that Obasanjo was like a Bull in a china shop who must be managed well in the interest of the nation.
Speaking of that plot against Obasanjo in the Senate, Ogunlewe said:
“It was externally motivated. Some power blocs wanted him out. We were only 19 AD Senators and the ANPP was also there. We were in a very bad minority and they held meetings at night and decided to impeach President Olusegun Obasanjo and they already had the numbers, the two-third majority to do so and they were in the process of consummating it on a Thursday morning and our leader, Senator Mojisola Akinfenwa called us together and asked “how do we save Olusegun Obasanjo, being from the Southwest of Nigeria and we said, ok, let’s abort the plan for Thursday and give us time before the next Tuesday and see how we could salvage the situation and that was what we did.
“Immediately that was done, we now sent an emissary to tell him the position of things and as bad as they were and that he should go and see the Emir of Kano where Na`abba (Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Naabba) came from and see all the traditional rulers in the Southeast where Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, (Senate President) came from so that they could douse the tension and call their people.
“The people in the National Assembly consult very well at home and that was what Obasanjo did and they had to contact those external people and that was why he was able to escape. But if not for the decision of the AD Caucus to inform him (Obasanjo) of the position of things he would have been impeached. But that is not what is happening now.”
Upon that claim, he affirmed that “the majority APC members will never allow an impeachment in the year of election.”
According to him the impeachment of Buhari irrespective of his guilt would be an indictment of the ruling APC which has the majority in the two chambers of the National Assembly.
Ogunlewe, remarkably, said that President Buhari had not committed any impeachable offence.
The former lawmaker even while admitting several security breaches and failures in governance, put the blame on the National Assembly.
According to him the legislators failed in their duties by apportioning more money for the military instead of the police. He said that the focus on the military is what has caused the insecurity in the land to fester.
“Things began to wobble when the National Assembly concentrated on the military at the expense of the police. It is the duty of the police to protect the citizens within the country but everybody shifted attention to the military, gave them more money including $1 billion at the expense of the police,” Ogunlewe submitted.
Adegoke, also an APC chief and leader, however, disagreed sharply with Ogunlewe, saying that the issues were beyond partisan politics. According to Adegoke, the Buhari led government has failed in its fundamental duty of securing lives.
“I am a member and leader of the APC in my own right and I do not think we should reduce everything to politics, we must speak the truth. If my children were the ones abducted, if my wife was the one being violated, if my family members were attacked and if I were the one daily being subjected to threats along the roads of Makurdi, Adamawa and different parts of the country, would I be comfortable to still give pass mark to somebody elected to guarantee my security and guarantee the security of my family?
“The fact that it has not affected us so much in Lagos does not mean that we should close our eyes to what is happening to other people in other parts of the country.
“If these were the things we condemned President Jonathan for and under our own party’s leadership we have not been able to achieve it, let us be honest to ourselves, whoever ought to have resigned should resign and get out office and let someone else do the work.
“We have our president jetting out of the country at every opportunity, sightseeing, moonlighting. I don’t think that is a proper government that we deserve in Nigeria or in any part of the world.”
The learned silk while urging Nigerians to put aside tribal sentiments in the consideration of the assessment and fitness of Buhari in office, said:
“We must be honest to ourselves, there is no nation, no group of people who will be satisfied with the kind of insecurity playing out in the nation today. However, we must realise that Nigeria is a funny country where all manners of primordial sentiments infiltrate into public discourse.
“We cannot rule out the influence of religious considerations becoming the cornerstone of some peoples thinking.”
Adegoke, however, surmised that the lawmakers would not assess Buhari without putting sentiments of tribe and religion into consideration.
“I do not believe that the majority of them do have the capacity to critically consider this issue from a detached point of view.”
In his opinion, the APC, chief, however, summarized Buhari as having failed saying he should take the fall.
“I do not think that it is right to put the blame at the door of the National Assembly in this instance. There is no way you leave the head and be blaming the neck for what is going wrong in the thinking process of a human being. I believe that the president has fallen below par, he has performed well.
“We elected Mr President in the belief that as a former general in the army, as someone who has led this country before that he had a solution to the insecurity problems we were having under President Jonathan. We all trooped out, I was among those who trooped out when students in Northern state of Borno were abducted and if today we are talking of this problem in a grosser dimension definitely it would be mischievous for me to join the group of people who would be giving Mr President pass mark and condemning someone else. The bulk stops at the president’s table.
“If there is a challenge confronting him, making it impossible for him to perform his duty, this ought to have been made known to Nigerians.
“No matter who voted for him or who did not vote for him, the fact that he emerged the first and the second time as president means that Nigerians invested their expectations, their hopes in his regime. And as at this moment if we are still talking of Boko Haram terrorists, bandits invading Abuja and knocking on the door of the president telling him we are coming to abduct you, definitely that government cannot be said to have done well, it is a failed government.”
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately return to court and vacate the order freezing the Osun State Government’s accounts, citing the need to safeguard public confidence in the democratic process ahead of the state’s governorship election.
In a statement issued by the State House on Thursday, the President said he was not opposed to the EFCC exercising its statutory powers but expressed concern over the timing of the action, noting that Osun is only days away from the August 15 governorship poll.
Tinubu said he was “deeply embarrassed” not by the anti-graft agency’s mandate, but by the decision to freeze the state’s accounts at such a sensitive political period.
The EFCC had obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, as part of an investigation into alleged financial infractions involving the Osun State Government. The commission maintained that its actions were lawful, insisting it could freeze accounts suspected to be linked to financial crimes and seek judicial approval for extended restrictions.
The President, however, said actions taken by federal institutions are often attributed to him, regardless of whether he had prior knowledge of them.
He reiterated that since assuming office, he had consistently allowed anti-corruption agencies to operate independently without political interference, stressing that strong democratic institutions were essential to the rule of law.
Despite this position, Tinubu said the proximity of the Osun governorship election made the timing of the EFCC’s action inappropriate and required his intervention to prevent any perception that federal agencies were being used to influence the electoral process.
According to him, although he had not been fully briefed on the facts behind the investigation, the overriding public interest demanded that confidence in the integrity and fairness of the election be protected.
The President subsequently directed the EFCC to immediately return to court, vacate the freezing order and discontinue the action against the Osun State Government.
The development follows a dispute between the Osun State Government and the EFCC over allegations of financial misconduct. The state government has denied claims of misappropriating ₦11 billion and accused the commission of attempting to justify its decision to freeze the accounts, while the EFCC insists its investigation is strictly based on its statutory mandate and not politically motivated.
Osun State Governor and Accord Party governorship candidate, Ademola Adeleke, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to resisting all forms of intimidation through lawful and democratic means as the state prepares for the August 15 governorship election.
In a series of posts on his X account on Thursday, Adeleke said his administration remains focused on prudent management of public resources and implementing people-centred policies that have improved the lives of residents across the state.
The governor expressed appreciation to party members and supporters in Ayedaade Local Government Area for the massive turnout during his campaign visit, describing the reception as a strong endorsement of his continuity agenda.
According to him, the enthusiasm shown by supporters reflects their determination despite what he described as repeated provocations.
Adeleke urged his supporters to remain peaceful, vigilant and united, insisting that the best response to intimidation is discipline and a massive turnout on election day.
His remarks come amid controversy over the reported freezing of the Osun State Government’s statutory allocation account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as part of an ongoing investigation.
The Nigerian Bar Association has criticised the EFCC’s action, arguing that the anti-graft agency lacks the constitutional authority to impose a blanket restriction on a state’s finances without due legal process.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Government has denied any financial wrongdoing. Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, accused the EFCC of acting on the alleged directive of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola to frustrate the payment of workers’ palliatives.
The Osun governorship election is scheduled for August 15, with Adeleke seeking a second term under the Accord Party platform.
Amid allegations of financial impropriety rocking the Ondo State House of Assembly, lawmakers on Wednesday held a parliamentary meeting to deliberate on pending legislative matters and announced the constitution of a four-member panel to investigate and audit the Assembly’s accounts, including the alleged involvement of the Speaker, Olamide Oladiji.
The meeting was held at the Assembly complex, but the Speaker and his Deputy, Ololade Gbegudu, were absent. The Majority Leader, Hon. Olatunji Oshati, however, attended the meeting.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Hon. Olatunji Ifabiyi, alongside some lawmakers, confirmed that the Assembly’s accounts would be audited.
Ifabiyi, who did not disclose the identities of members of the four-member probe panel, said the leadership of the House had been under pressure to resume legislative activities.
He said the lawmakers considered it necessary to reconvene to discharge their constitutional responsibilities of lawmaking and oversight, following concerns over the prolonged absence of plenary sessions and committee meetings.
According to him, the lawmakers deliberated on issues affecting the development of Ondo State, including constituency projects, community development and the welfare of residents across the state’s 18 local government areas.
Speaking on the political situation in the Assembly, Ifabiyi said lawmakers had not abandoned their plan to impeach the Speaker, but were awaiting further directives from the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He dismissed allegations that lawmakers had been financially induced to abandon the impeachment move, insisting that the process remained pending.
“We are still waiting for the leadership of the party. We are unable to proceed further until the leadership of the party asks us to. So, it’s pending. We are still on course,” he said.
On the role of the state government in the crisis, Ifabiyi said Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had no role in the day-to-day running of the legislature, describing the intervention of the APC leadership as a normal party affair.
“The Governor does not intervene in the running of the legislature. It is normal for a party to intervene because we are from the same family,” he said.
He added that the APC leadership should treat all members of the Assembly equally, noting that all 26 lawmakers belonged to the same political party.
“Our father will not prefer one person at the expense of 26. Our father will not do that,” Ifabiyi said.
The Ward Executive Committee of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Ward 9, comprising Amoli, Ogugu, Owelli and Ugbo in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, has reaffirmed the indefinite suspension of Mr SKC Ogbonnia from the party.
The Ward said the suspension took effect on May 18, 2026, following the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings conducted in accordance with the party’s constitution.
In a statement dated August 5, 2026, the Ward Executive Committee clarified that the suspension was not a recent decision and remains valid and binding until it is reviewed or lifted by the appropriate organs of the party.
According to the committee, the disciplinary action followed the report of a duly constituted Ward Disciplinary Committee set up to investigate petitions and complaints alleging anti-party activities, gross misconduct, acts of sabotage and conduct considered prejudicial to the interests of the NDC.
The Ward Chairman, Hon. Chief Chukwunta Chibuike Fabian, said the committee observed the principles of fair hearing and due process by issuing several invitations to Ogbonnia and giving him opportunities to appear and respond to the allegations against him.
However, the committee alleged that Ogbonnia failed and refused to honour the invitations or participate in the disciplinary proceedings.
According to the Ward, his alleged refusal to appear compelled the disciplinary committee to conclude its assignment based on the evidence before it.
The report was subsequently adopted unanimously by the Ward Executive Committee, which resolved that Ogbonnia be suspended indefinitely from the NDC with effect from May 18, 2026.
The party said the allegations against him included persistent anti-party activities, gross misconduct, disloyalty, attempts to undermine the party’s leadership, programmes and electoral interests, conduct capable of bringing the party into public disrepute, and disregard for the party’s constitution and lawful directives.
The Ward Executive Committee also claimed that its internal verification showed that Ogbonnia was not recognised as a registered member of the NDC in Ward 9.
The committee questioned the basis of his alleged association with the party and expressed concern over his possession of the Ward’s account number.
According to the Ward, it did not authorise or disclose its account details to Ogbonnia and called on him to explain how he allegedly obtained the information.
The committee further stated that, throughout the period of his suspension, Ogbonnia is prohibited from attending or participating in meetings, programmes, activities or decision-making processes of the NDC.
It also warned that he must not present himself publicly as a member, official or representative of the party unless and until the suspension is reviewed or lifted by the appropriate party authorities.
The Ward Executive Committee said the disciplinary action was necessary to protect the integrity, discipline, unity, constitutional order and credibility of the NDC.
It reaffirmed its commitment to accountability, internal democracy and what it described as zero tolerance for conduct detrimental to the collective interests of the party.
The statement was signed by Hon. Chief Chukwunta Chibuike Fabian, Ward Chairman, NDC Ward 9, Awgu Local Government Area, Enugu State.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly frozen a bank account belonging to the Osun State Government, just 10 days before the state’s governorship election, heightening political tension ahead of the August 15 poll.
Documents obtained by Vanguard indicate that the account, domiciled with First Bank and reportedly used for the payment of workers’ salaries, has been placed on “Post No Debit” status by the anti-graft agency.
The development came barely hours after Governor Ademola Adeleke raised the alarm over an alleged plot by the EFCC to freeze the state government’s accounts and those of key government officials.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the governor described the reported move as a deliberate attempt to cripple the operations of his administration ahead of the governorship election.
Adeleke argued that there was no legal basis for the action, insisting that the EFCC lacked the statutory authority to freeze the accounts of a state government.
A source close to the governor, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, confirmed that the restriction had already taken effect.
“I can confirm that the state government account has been frozen by the EFCC. It is no longer an allegation. The governor will address the press shortly to update the public on the situation,” the source said.
As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had yet to issue an official statement confirming or explaining the reported action. The reason for the account restriction also remained unclear.
The reported account freeze is expected to heighten political tensions in Osun as political parties intensify their campaigns ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
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