An attempt to introduce impeachment proceeding against President Muhammadu Buhari for alleged unapproved spending failed in Senate yesterday.

Senators accused the president of paying $496m to the government of the United States for the purchase of Super Tucano without National Assembly approval.

Buhari told the lawmakers that he had given an anticipatory approval for the amount, which he said had already been transferred to the accounts of the United States of America.

President Buhari in a letter dated April 13, this year read on Wednesday at the Senate confirmed the payment of the said amount to the US government.

Deputy Senate leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi) raised the motion for the president’s request of $496m (N151bn) to be included in this year’s budget being considered at the National Assembly.

However, opposition senators of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the president had breached the constitution and they sought to invoke section 143 of the 1999 constitution dealing with impeachment.

Senator Mathew Uroghide (PDP, Edo) was the first to call for the invocation of section 143.

“As a consequent, section 143 of the 1999 constitution should be invoked, the matter does not need to be investigated because it is clear that the President has violated the law,” he said.

Uroghide’s prayer was supported by senators Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu) and Sam Anyanwu (PDP, Imo) who insisted the impeachment process should commence.

However, Senator Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna) opposed the impeachment of the president, saying “ in my own opinion, I do not believe we should impeach the president but the money should be returned.”

Supporting Sani’s position, Senator Abu Ibrahim (APC,Katsina) said the President took the action based on national interest.

Ibrahim, who said President Buhari should be commended for seeking the approval of the National Assembly, said previous administrations of Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Ebele Jonathan spent money from the Excess Account without budgetary provision and approval of the National Assembly.

“I think this is a PDP conspiracy.  President Buhari is a believer of accountability that’s why he brought this here. Under MTEF, provision has been made for this.  The President shouldn’t have brought this to us,” he said.

At this point, Na’Allah suggested that the matter be referred to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and legal matters for advice.

The prayer was carried and the matter was referred to the committee chaired by Senator David Umaru (APC, Niger). The committee is expected to report back on Wednesday with recommendation on the way forward.

In his remark, the Senate president, Bukola Saraki said in August last year, the US Congress met with them before they agreed to sell the aircraft to the country.

“We met with members of the Congress in August 2017. Between September and February, there was ample time for the executive to carry us along. It was after we agreed with the Congress that the US government agreed to sell the aircraft,” he said.

Reps suspend debate on $496m request

The House of Representatives on its part yesterday suspended debate on the $496 million expenditure request.

The matter was slated for discussion through a motion sponsored by House Leader Femi Gbajabiamila (APC, Lagos) and to be read on the floor by Mohammed Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno).

However, soon after Speaker Yakubu Dogara called on Monguno to read the content of the motion, Ossai Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta) raised a point of order, saying the matter should not be discussed as the money was already spent.

But Chief Whip Alhassan Ado Doguwa (APC, Kano) argued that the House could go ahead to debate the motion and decide on whether to include the amount in the budget proposal or not.

But other lawmakers, mainly those of the opposition PDP insisted that the House could not discuss a matter that had been laid to rest by the president via his approval.

Led by Deputy Minority Leader, Chukwuka Onyeama, the opposition lawmakers said what the president did was a clear breach of the constitution, which has its consequences.

However, in the end, Dogara referred the motion to the Committee on Rules and Business chaired by Emmanuel Orker-Jev (APC, Benue) to advise the House on whether to consider the motion or not.

The matter was therefore suspended until the Orker-Jev committee gets back to the House.

Govs back Buhari

Meanwhile, tate governors have thrown their weight behind President Muhammadu Buhari over the withdrawal of $496 million from the Excess Crude Account for the payment of military jets.

The governors gave their endorsement yesterday during the meeting of the National Economic Council presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Addressing State House reporters after the NEC meeting, Jigawa State Governor Abubakar Badaru, said Nigeria initiated the process of purchasing the aircraft since 2014.

He said while the US, Dubai and Brazil had refused to sell the jets to Nigeria in the past, incumbent US President Donald Trump had agreed to do so.

The governor explained that President Buhari paid for the jets before the United States could change its mind.

He said: “We forget easily. If you recall, we have been battling with approval from America to buy these equipment since 2014. We have been begging America to sell this equipment to us.

“We tried Dubai, they could not allow us, we tried a factory in Brazil, we couldn’t get it. The America still could not sell to Nigeria.

“Then, luckily, President Trump said it was okay to buy. So, we had to quickly buy before they change their minds because there is also deadline and this is a state-to-state transaction, no middleman.

“And we are all here concerned about security and they (federal lawmakers’) are raising questions on way and manner you protect people. This is an emergency situation