Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka has declared support for lawmakers planning to Impeach president Muhammadu Buhari over what he termed and ‘abysmal’ performance as leader of Nigeria.
Soyinka, while speaking during an interactive session in Abeokuta, Ogun State organised to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Abeokuta Club on Tuesday, disclosed that President Buhari ought to be removed from office because he breached the contract of democracy.
It can be recalled that Nigerian lawmakers issued a 6-week ultimatum to the President to address the problem of Insecurity in the country or face impeachment.
Soyinka said; “Democracy indicates a contract, that is why the candidate puts on a manifesto. On the basis of that manifesto, the candidate is either accepted or rejected. Very often, the grounds for breach of contract, I think we all agree, is mis-governance and one of the ways of breaking this kind of contract we know even before the duration of a contract is known as impeachment.”
“The reason we will go by some legislators to impeach the President who is the head of government. In fact, one cleric has gone even further.”
“He believes that the impeachment should take place not in the legislative home but in the bush with the kidnappers and he appealed to the kidnappers to quicken the process by impeaching the President and take him away and some of his aides and one or two governors.”
“In any democracy, any president, prime minister or whatever is entitled to one vote. We are not saying we should disenfranchise somebody because they are on top of governance.They had their right to campaign for any candidate they like but there is nothing in any constitution that I know of, in any democratic constitution, which says that the head of government should appoint his or her successor.”
“I am not aware of it and this is a head of governance who is generally agreed, I believe, as having failed, having misgoverned to the point that impeachment is being considered.”
ADVOCACY FOR IMPEACHMENT BY KIDNAPPING COULD BE TERMED SOMETHING LIKE VIOLENT REMOVAL OF THE PRESIDENT OR AT WORST MISINTERPRETED FOR ILL MOTIVE OVERTHROW OF A LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT BY ANY MEAN BUT LEGAL.
This statement could be misconstrued for promotion of anarchy and removal of government by undemocratic means, even with nearness of legal instrument of change of guards such as the upcoming election for people’s choice of new government through democracy mode and method.
THE OPPORTUNITY TO RELIEVE THE PRESIDENT OF OFFICE IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.