Senate President Akpabio Asked to Resign or Be Impeached

The United States of America chapter of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO USA) has called on the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to resign from office due to his "lackluster handling of the affairs of the upper legislative chamber."

Newsmen reports that the body made the call in a statement released on Tuesday through its Executive Director Lloyd Ukwu.

The organisation also called on Senators to commence impeachment proceedings against Akpabio, accusing him of making the upper chamber "a laughing stock" and "subjugating" his colleagues under the executive arm of government.

NADECO USA accused Akpabio of showing "absolute disdain for the Standing Rules of the Senate," "keeping communications from the President which are supposed to be read during announcement time till the end of plenary," and "not giving Senators adequate opportunity to interrogate and scrutinise bills."

The group also criticised Akpabio for his "lack of empathy for poor and suffering Nigerian masses," citing his recent response to a Senator's comment about Nigerians needing to breathe.

NADECO USA accused Akpabio of amending the Senate Standing Rules to disqualify first-term Senators from vying for the position of presiding officer, a move which the group said "clearly violates relevant sections of the constitution."

The group said Akpabio was "not fit to be Senate President of Nigeria at this material time" and that it would mobilise Nigerians in the US and diaspora for mass action to ensure his removal from office if he fails to resign or is not impeached by Senators.

NADECO USA also threatened to lobby the US parliament and other parliaments across the world to prevent them from considering the Nigerian Senate under Akpabio as a "serious and responsible institution."

The group said that Akpabio had "converted the National Assembly into an annexe of the Presidential Villa" and that he had "connived with the executive to approve loans and other adverse requests without following due process or allowing Senators to make germane input through robust debate adequately." NADECO USA said only recently, the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC - Borno South) and Senator Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo (SDP - Nasarawa South) openly accused Akpabio of not giving Senators adequate opportunity to interrogate and scrutinise bills, especially money bills, and warned that history would judge him for approving executive requests and passing important legislations posthaste.