Former Head of State, retired General Yakubu Gowon has warned National Assembly to stop the process it began towards impeaching President Muhammadu Buhari.
He cautioned that regular impeachment of President on issues that can be resolved within the democratic space would not augur well for the nation’s fledgling democracy.
His warning came on the heels of the submission of a report on motion for the impeachment of President Buhari over the purchase of $496 million Tucano Aircrafts without legislators’ approval.
Dr, Gowon, who received in audience today, Thursday, members of the Northern Leaders and Stakeholders Assembly (NLSA) at Gowon centre in Abuja, argued that disagreements remain vital components of a democracy, adding that such disagreements could be handled differently without necessarily taking the impeachment option.
The elder statesman, who ruled Nigeria for the 30 months that the Nigeria civil war lasted between 1967 and 1975, said: “it may be too early in the day to start impeaching President in Nigeria, otherwise, there is no President that will not get impeached because of these interest groups.”
He called on the different groups in the North to come together to project a common front, adding that too many groups could send wrong signals to other parts of the country.
“We need to come together as a people. The Arewa Consultative Forum, Northern Elders Forum and the Northern Leaders and Stakeholders Assembly should come together or we would end up polarising the North.”
Chairman of the Forum and former Presidential adviser, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai said that the group is committed to sustainable peace and harmonious co-existence of all ethnic nationalities in the country.
He said that members of group are free to belong to any political party of their choice, adding that NLSA has constituted six sub-committees on national unity, security and restructuring among others.
He said that it would soon hold a northern political summit to deliberate on the democratic future of the nation.
Tanko Yakassai said that the group is not constituted to search for a consensus Presidential candidate from the North, contrary to some media reports, stressing that NLSA’s primary motivation is the promotion of unity and well being of Nigerians through the evolution of a national blueprint to address the challenges of the nation.
Present at the Yakubu Gowon Centre, venue of the meeting were former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Ghali Umar Na’aba, ex- Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, Senator Joseph Waku, erstwhile Federal Capital Territory Minister, Mohammed Abba Gana and a one-time Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Maryam Inna Ciroma amongst others.
source: Vanguard.
