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.”
Chief Sir OAU Onyema, a senatorial aspirant for Enugu West in the 2027 elections, has announced his resignation from the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), citing alleged lack of transparency, internal manipulation, and attempts by party leaders to impose candidates on the electorate.
Speaking during a media briefing, Onyema accused influential figures within the party of abandoning democratic principles by allegedly sidelining popular aspirants in favour of loyalists and personal associates.
According to him, party leaders have failed to release the results of screening exercises and purported primary elections, raising concerns that the process is being manipulated to favour preferred candidates before names are submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The former aspirant specifically alleged that a prominent political figure from Delta State was working with some NDC leaders to undermine the wishes of the people of Enugu West Senatorial District by promoting a personal aide for the senatorial ticket despite lacking grassroots political support in the district.
Onyema said such moves would be resisted through lawful and democratic means, insisting that the people of Enugu West deserve candidates with established political relevance and local acceptance.
He further claimed that efforts to integrate political structures built around Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, into the NDC were frustrated, resulting in what he described as weak and ineffective party structures at the ward level.
The politician also alleged financial irregularities within the party, including what he termed the undue collection of funds from members, though he did not provide specific evidence during the briefing.
Expressing disappointment with the party’s operations, Onyema declared that the NDC had failed to live up to expectations of transparency, fairness, and sincerity.
He vowed to work towards providing voters in Enugu West with credible alternatives ahead of the 2027 elections, regardless of political party affiliation.
“We remain committed to the ideals of justice, fairness, democracy, and the will of the people,” Onyema stated, adding that while he still believes a new Nigeria is possible, he has lost confidence in the NDC and is formally exiting the party.
He maintained that the 2027 elections would be “interesting” and expressed confidence that voters would increasingly focus on the quality of candidates rather than political party platforms.
In the now-controversial post shared on his social media page, Osborne wrote: “In a sane clime president Bola Ahmed Tinubu would’ve respectfully and honourably resigned. I’m of APC but truth be told.”
The comment quickly generated reactions online before the Akwa Ibom State Government moved to terminate his appointment.
In a letter dated June 2, 2026, the Office of the Political Adviser to the Governor announced his immediate disengagement.
The termination letter, signed by the Political Adviser to the Governor, Prince Godwin Ntuk Udeh, stated that Osborne Ubong Okon had been relieved of his duties with immediate effect.Politics
According to the letter, the decision was taken over actions the office described as disloyal.
“You are hereby relieved of your engagement as a Media Aide to the Political Adviser to His Excellency the Governor, with immediate effect and from today, 2nd June 2026,” the memo read.
The letter further cited “actions bordering on disloyalty” and the need to keep the office “purified” as reasons for the dismissal.
The office also issued a warning to members of the public and government officials regarding future dealings with the former aide.
“Any person having dealings with the above-mentioned former Media Aide in relation to this office of his former engagement does so on his/her own peril,” the statement added.
The development has sparked fresh conversations about the limits of political expression for government appointees and the expectations of loyalty within public service, particularly when comments are directed at the presidency.
Neither Osborne nor the Presidency had publicly responded to the development as of the time of filing this report.
The decision was taken during plenary on Tuesday at the Assembly complex in Dutse, the state capital, as the party continues to deal with the fallout from recent primaries.
The action comes amid a wave of suspensions across Jigawa APC following the recently conducted primary election.
Several special advisers and special assistants have already been suspended statewide over alleged anti-party activities from state level down to local government level.
Maigari, who doubles as the councillor representing Auyo Ward, was suspended after the House considered a motion by the Majority Leader, Lawan Dansure.
The motion sought disciplinary action against the lawmaker for conduct deemed harmful to party cohesion.
Moving the motion during the Assembly’s plenary session on Tuesday, Dansure urged members to support the suspension.
He said the House must act to protect the integrity of the ruling party ahead of 2027.
According to him, the actions of the Speaker of Auyo Legislative Council are detrimental to the unity, stability, and progress of the All Progressives Congress in the state.
“His actions are detrimental to the unity, stability, and progress of the All Progressives Congress,” Dansure told the House.
He argued that anti-party conduct at the grassroots level could undermine APC’s performance in future elections.
He said the House could not fold its arms while party discipline was being tested.
“Hon. Haruna Maigari is hereby suspended as Speaker of Auyo Legislative Council over alleged anti-party activities,” Dangyatin announced during plenary.
The Speaker also said the House remains committed to party discipline at all levels of governance in the state.
Dangyatin then constituted an investigative committee to look into the matter and report back within two weeks.
“The committee is expected to establish facts and recommend further action based on its findings,” he said.
The Speaker also directed the suspended lawmaker to hand over all official documents in his possession to the Deputy Speaker of Auyo Legislative Council.
He said the handover must be done immediately to ensure continuity of council business.
Meanwhile, the House also received a formal notification from Governor Umar Namadi regarding an official trip.
“The governor is billed to attend a two-day West African Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra, Ghana,” the Speaker said during the plenary session of the Assembly.
Dangyatin, who explained that the governor’s foreign engagement will hold between June 2 and June 3, 2026, added that “the governor’s participation is aimed at attracting investment to Jigawa’s rice value chain.”
By Chinedu Sabastine
Mr. Samson Chukwu Nnamani has declared that he remains the authentic governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State ahead of the 2027 election.
Nnamani made this known on Friday during a press briefing held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Enugu.
Reacting to allegations that he was suspended from the party before the PDP governorship primary election, Nnamani dismissed the claim, questioning how a supposedly suspended aspirant could participate in the exercise and secure votes.
“The purported claim that I was suspended is very funny. If I was suspended as they claim, how can they attribute votes for me during their kangaroo primary,” Nnamani questioned.
Represented by his Media Director, Dr. Buchi Nnaji, the PDP chieftain said his authenticity derives from the present recognition of the Abdulrahman-led faction of the PDP by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), of which he is a member.
The clarification followed the emergence of multiple claimants to the PDP governorship ticket in Enugu State.
Nnamani insisted that the party was no longer factionalised following INEC’s recognition of the Abdulrahman-led PDP leadership, noting that the panel which declared him winner where sent from their headquaters, Abuja.
Nnamani expressed gratitude to PDP leaders and supporters whom he said turned out massively on Sunday, May 24, 2026, to elect him as the party’s governorship candidate.
He pledged to reposition Enugu State through infrastructure development, job creation and people-oriented policies.
“As the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Enugu State, I remain committed to the ideals of good governance, inclusive leadership, economic development, youth empowerment, quality education, improved healthcare and enhanced security for all residents,” he said.
He added that his aspiration was to build “a greater Enugu State where opportunities abound for every citizen, irrespective of political affiliation, religion or social status.”
According to him, his administration would prioritise infrastructure development, industrialisation, support for small businesses and welfare programmes aimed at improving the lives of the people.
“We shall also review and remove policies and practices that are truncating the wellbeing, economic survival and social advancement of the citizens,” he stated.
Nnamani further called on stakeholders, party faithful, youths, women, traditional rulers and the people of Enugu State to join hands in building “a united, peaceful and progressive state.”
“Together, we can achieve the Enugu of our dreams,” he added.
The Presidency has reacted following the circulation of an alleged WhatsApp voice note in which President Bola Tinubu reportedly claims he begged opposition figure Peter Obi to step down ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The reaction came on Wednesday from Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President.
Onanuga condemned the audio file, labeling it a fabrication and called for legal action against popular social media critic VeryDarkMan who shared it.
“This VDM needs to face the weight of the law for being the conveyor and disseminator of a fake audio of President Tinubu. This is a clear case of an egregious abuse of the social media platform.,” Onanuga tweeted.
In the viral video, VeryDarkMan used the alleged leaked audio to urge Nigerians to vote against President Tinubu’s reelection bid in the upcoming 2027 polls.
Recall that just days ago, on Saturday, May 23, 2026, President Tinubu secured the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a landslide nationwide direct primary election.
During that contest, Tinubu faced a lone challenger, Edo State businessman and APC chieftain Stanley Osifo. The President won with 10,999,162 votes from the 12,643,306 registered party members, while Osifo secured 16,503 votes.
Meanwhile, Peter Obi, who finished third in the 2023 election, is widely expected to fly the flag for the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC). Both Obi and Tinubu hail from the southern region of Nigeria and are set to face last year’s runner-up, Atiku Abubakar, who is expected to lead the ticket for the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
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