An angry mob yesterday attacked the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Mathew Urhoghide, over a motion he moved on the floor of the Senate for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The attack on the senator coincided with a fracas between supporters of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the Benin Airport, which left five persons injured.
Among those injured was the State Youth Leader of the PDP, Mr. Thaddeus Irabor, who was later arrested by the police.
Supporters of the PDP had organised a red carpet reception for Urhoghide, the Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District, for calling on the Senate to invoke Section 143 of the Nigeria Constitution over the payment of $496m for the purchase of 12 Super Tucano fighter jets.
Section 143 spelt out the impeachment procedure against President Mohammadu Buhari.
Supporters of the APC who had earlier protested through the streets of Benin, calling on Senator Urhoghide to withdraw the motion or face recall, later stormed the airport with placards.
Although the state’s Commissioner of Police, Babatunde Kokumo, and some military men were at the Airport to prevent a clash between the supporters of the two parties, events soon turned awry as Senator Urhoghide was granting an interview with journalists.
The atmosphere soon became unfriendly as some youths began to chant war songs, forcing some of the policemen at the occasion to whisk him to the VIP section of the airport.
Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, later arrived the airport from Abuja and asked the senator to follow him so that they could leave the airport together.
Immediately Obaseki saw Obaseki, he jokingly said, “You want to remove our President, we will remove you from the Senate.”
Governor Obaseki, who had jokingly said, “you want to remove our President, we will remove you from the state,” then walked hand in hand with Senator Urhoghide.
That, however, did not prevent the angry youths from pouncing on Urhoghide and removing his cap.
Policemen, however, intervened by catching some of the errant youths and dragging them away.
Urhoghide was later whisked out of the airport about 20 minutes after the youths had left.
Speaking to newsmen, Irabor, the PDP youth leader in the state, said they were at the airport in solidarity with Senator Urhoghide.
He said: “We came in solidarity with our senator who moved a laudable motion. Since President Buhari has bridged the law, there was need for the Eighth Assembly to move for impeachment of the President. What happened was an impeachable offence.
“Immediately the senator came, I was trying to calm the PDP youths down, but I didn’t know that some APC youths were at my back. They fought with me and the security agents were there watching.
“I knew it was what was going to happen because they earlier asked me to tell my boys to go outside while they allowed the APC boys in. This is wrong and an abuse of our democracy.
“I have never seen a country where the opposition is silenced with all energy. If this was what the PDP did while in power, I do not think the APC will ever emerge. There must be freedom for you to express your opinion.
“The Senator has performed his constitutional responsibility.”
Irabor alleged that the senator’s cap was removed in the presence of the governor, saying “he brought out the senator for him to be humiliated.”
But a leader of the APC youths, Kingsley Imafidon, said what the Senator did was wrong and did not have the backing of his constituents.
Kingsley said they were at the airport to warn Urhoghide to desist from the motion and rather focus on what he was elected to do.
Urhogide denies calling for Buhari’s removal
Speaking to newsmen at the airport earlier, Senator Urhoghide had said that the motion he moved on the floor of the Senate was not aimed at Buhari’s impeachment.
He said it would be stupid of him to move an impeachment motion against President Mohammadu Buhari, adding that he understood what Section 143 of the constitution was all about.
Urhoghide, who insisted that there was no impeachment motion during plenary, said the media acted out of ignorance by referring to what he said as an impeachment motion.
He said: “I hope you people understand the workings of the Senate and the positions you are talking about.
“I am the Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts. Every government expenditure falls on my table.
“The President had a good intention of buying those equipment but the procedure was wrong, and he has accepted that it was wrong.
“We have sworn to oath that we will uphold the decision of the constitution.
“A good intention of buying something and a procedure that is wrong. What do we do?
“The only thing that concerns the President’s office is Section 143.
“If you check Section 143, it is a long process. The first thing you have to do is investigation and correspondences will be entered into.
“The President has to be written (to) and (he has to) reply.
“We have not reached the issue of impeachment. Nobody on the floor of the Senate moved a motion that the President should be impeached.
“If the papers said somebody said the President should be impeached, it is out of ignorance. It is unfortunate.
“I am proud to be a senator. All revenues fall on my table. They should be proud that this is what it is.
“The Constitution is above every other person. We have not reached the point of impeachment, that was why the Senate President said it should be referred to the judiciary so that they will advice on what to do.
“If I is said the President should be impeached, then I am ignorant. Section 143 is a very long process. It will take a lot of time and actions to impeach the President.
“Move a motion for the President to be impeached? Then I must be stupid.
“I only said invoke Section 143 so that processes should be followed.”
Constituents disown senator
Some youths and leaders of Edo South said yesterday that Urhoghide’s motion did not represent the opinion of his constituents or that of the state, vowing to commence a recall process against him if the people of Kogi West succeed in recalling Senator Dino Melaye.
A former Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources in the defunct Bendel State during the late Prof. Ambrose Alli administration, Barrister Eddy Osifo, said Nigerians will rise against the senators if they attempt to carry out the impeachment threat.
Osifo regretted that the senators have eyes and ears but cannot see the good works of President Buhari.
He also expressed confidence that the senators would not get two-thirds majority needed to impeach the President.
He said: “It is not possible for them to impeach Buhari. They cannot get the two-thirds majority. There are also a lot of allegations against some senators.
“Let me tell you, the country will rise against the Senate. Is there anybody who cannot see the rise in our foreign reserve and the development going on across the country, especially in the South East?
“The country has changed without the Senators knowing. They just want to attempt an impossibility. Urhoghide and his party has one chance in this country. PDP is a party of the past.”
State Secretary of Edo APC, Mr. Lawrence Okah, described the impeachment move as a bid to cause anarchy in the country.
Leader of the APC in Esan South East, Mr. Victor Eboigbe, said the Senator’s action was unnecessary.
Eboigbe said it was unfortunate that the motion was moved by a senator from the state.
A former governorship aspirant, Mr. Kenneth Imansuangbon, said the impeachment plot against President Buhari would fail.
He said: “What he did is not an impeachable offence. The President reserves the right to do anything when it comes to security matters. He has the presidential powers to do anything necessary to protect the territorial integrity of the country.”
Barrister Henry Idahagbon said it was unfortunate that Edo South narrowly voted for Senator Urhoghide in 2015.
Idahagbon reminded Urhoghide that he was elected to attract federal government’s presence to his people and not to move impeachment motions.
“He is on his own. He does not have our support. Let us see how the recall process of Senator Melaye goes,” he said.
The Benin National Congress appealed to Senator Urhoghide to tread cautiously even while acknowledging that President Buhari committed an impeachable offence.
President of BNC, Comrade Aiyamenkhue Edokpolor, in a statement, urged the Senate to give President Buhari soft landing and called for improved security architecture across the country.
Also the APC Solidarity Group and Edo South chapter of Godwin Obaseki Support Group (GOSG) condemned Uroghide’s motion.
A statement by the coordinator and Secretary General of GOSG, Comrade Emma Erukpe and Kenneth Adodo, gave Uroghide a 48-hour ultimatum to withdraw the motion.
According to the statement, “The position of the Senator is not the opinion of the people of Edo South. Senator Urhoghide is on his own, and he does not have the support of the people of Edo State.
“We hereby give him 48 hours to withdraw this motion. We also want him to show evidence of the mandate he got from the people of Edo State to raise this motion on their behalf, since he is supposed to be presenting the peope of Edo South and their interest in the Senate.
“Failure to show this evidence will result in the commencement of his recall from the National Assembly.
“Edo is an APC state. We are committed to the course of Mr President and the Governor of Edo State to improve the quality of life of our people.
“The Action of Senator Urhogide in the Senate smacks of disrespect for the people of Edo State and the culture of our people.
“We are distancing ourselves from Urhoghide. The motion he moved today does not represent the wishes of Edo South people.
“The whole of Edo people are behind the president. What Uroghide has done is a personal opinion which does not represent that of Edo people.”
Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on National Assembly Matters, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, said the comments made by Senator Urhoghide were not the view of Edo people.
He said: “It is unfortunate and nauseating that members of the National Assembly are playing politics with suggestions to the effect that Mr President should be impeached.
“Attempts to impeach an elected President is not a subject for parliamentary braggadocio. What played out on both floors of the National Assembly does not reflect the preponderant views of Nigerians and it’s certainly not the Edo position.”
State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, urged Nigerians to voice their support for members of the National Assembly who it said are being harassed, intimidated and persecuted for daring to speak.
Chief Orbih said the Edo PDP was in support of the current effort by members of the National Assembly to stem this ugly tide.
He said: “The legislature all over the world is the key component of democratic practice. No nation can survive under the weight of executive dictatorship as we are experiencing under the Buhari presidency.
“Any attempt to undermine their constitutional role will spell doom for our democracy .
“We commend Distinguished Senator Matthew Urhoghide, Chairman Public Accounts Committee, for his quality representation of Edo South Senatorial district and our party, the Peoples Democratic Party.
“He has justified our confidence by his incisive, quality and patriotic contributions in the Senate at this hour of our democratic trials.”