Tension As Nigerian Senate Threatens Buhari With Impeachment

There was uproar in the Nigerian senate on Tuesday, July 12, 2016 as Dino Melaye threatened to physically assault Remi Tinubu, both of them are senators elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, according to online tabloid,SaharaReporters.

Remi Tinubu is woman leader of the Nigerian senate and wife of the APC’s national leader and former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu.

Tuesday was a particularly tumultuous day in the senate as some lawmakers threaten to begin impeachment proceedings against President Muhammadu Buhari in retaliation for the forgery trial of the leadership of the senate in which Senate President Bukola Saraki and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu were arraigned along with two others.

Shortly after the start of the plenary session, some APC senators called on their colleagues -led by Senators Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi (APC Kaduna North) and Kabir Marafa (APC Zamfara Central) – to “sheathe their sword” and withdraw their petition against Saraki and Ekweremadu. The petition to the inspector general of police is the basis for the forgery trial.

Saraki chaired the plenary session in which the warring senators were reminded that a committee led by former senate president, David Mark had been set up and mandated to reconcile members of the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

In a curious development, as reported, Senator Mark denied knowledge of the committee or of the other members.

Senator Dino Melaye, a fiery figure, spoke, saying that the federal attorney general, Abubakar Malami, SAN, should be dragged before the senate for through interrogation over the forgery charges brought against the Senate leadership. Melaye, reportedly called on senators to “fight the presidency to a standstill” and issued other threats against the presidency.

It was when Senator Remi Tinubu stood up to speak that she drew the irk of Melaye. She said that the senate should not be “reduced to a kindergarten where senators could just issue childish threats” and called for reconciliation among members of the chambers.

 “I will beat you up on this floor and nothing will happen,” Melaye told her, according to SaharaReporters.

Melaye’s outburst caused commotion on the floor of the senate as several senators stood up to intervene. Some gathered round Melaye, some around Tinubu.