The heightened level of insecurity in Nigeria today is worrisome and has led to several calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to either take action to address the problem or resign for someone more competent to lead the country. Sadly, next to nothing has been done to address the issue up until now.

On Sunday, December 6, 2020, Kingsley Chinda; caucus leader of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in a statement, called for the impeachment of President Buhari over the heightened level of insecurity in the country. But, Ben Kalu, spokesman of the House of Representatives, described Chinda’s call as illogical while asking Nigerians to disregard the call to impeach the president in a statement that partly reads:

“This opinion of a single member of the opposition party in the House has been misinterpreted by journalists as the voice of the entire House of Representatives when it does not represent the weakest opinion of the minority-caucus of the 9th House.

“It is the structure of the minority caucus leadership and majority caucus leadership that is recognised by the House as any statement not emanating from these and the spokesperson of the House does not in any way reflect either the minority, majority or general position of the 9th House of Representatives and should be disregarded like his other divisive, distracting, destabilising and destructive positions.”

Meanwhile, the PDP Monday, maintained that the call by its House of Representatives’ caucus, on Nigerians to direct their political representatives to commence the impeachment process against President Buhari was constitutional and democratic.

It is becoming more glaring that many elected representatives of the people do not even know what democracy is all about. If the recent happenings in the country are not enough to hold the president accountable to the people, then what is?

It is, indeed, the constitutional right of the people to hold their leaders accountable through various means including the use of impeachment as an instrument of accountability and good governance when necessary. The impeachment call against the president reechoes the sentiments of the majority of Nigerians who have expressed their concerns over the current state of the nation, especially the rising insecurity in the country amongst other things. 

The heightened insecurity in the country is enough reason for Nigerians to call for the president’s impeachment, especially as he does not appear to be bothered about the constant loss of lives across the country. Many Nigerians believe that if he cared enough about the citizenry, the least he could have done is to replace the service chiefs as advised by the senate which had last Tuesday, reechoed the voice of the masses by advising the president to do the needful following the Zambarmari massacre that left scores of farmers dead in Borno. Unfortunately, he is yet to act on their advice. 

It would be recalled that before Buhari assumed office, he had called for the resignation of President Goodluck Jonathan over the same issue of insecurity in the country. He might as well advise himself to resign as insecurity heightens under his watch or take the right action to prevent things from getting worse. This is the time to take action, and if he cannot do so; he has the choice to either resign or be impeached.

Uroupa Kiakubu