Senate rejects calls to impeach Jonathan

CALLS for the impeachment of President Goodluck Jonathan suffered a serious setback Tuesday as the Senate expressed its opposition to them.

Rising from a session behind closed-doors which lasted over an hour, the upper legislative chamber which is constitutionally empowered to play a leading role in the impeachment of the president or vice president, declared that the calls for Jonathan’s impeachment were lacking in merit to warrant its attention.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) had last Sunday called on the National Assembly to immediately commence impeachment process against Jonathan for alleged gross misconduct.

It said in a statement by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that Jonathan’s impeachment would save Nigeria from imminent collapse.

But briefing journalists shortly after the Senate’s meeting, the Spokesman and Chairman of the Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the Senate considered calls for the President’s impeachment as “utter rubbish.”

“We have heard of the call for the President’s impeachment and as far as the Senate is concerned, it is an utter rubbish,” Abaribe said.