Matthew Urhoghide, senator representing Edo south, has denied moving a motion for President Muhammadu Buhari to be impeached.
On Thursday, the lawmaker asked the senate to invoke section 143 against the president for approving the release of $496 million for the purchase 12 Tucano aircraft without the approval of the national assembly.
“There are serious consequences for violation of our constitution. I want this senate to resolve that what the president did is procedurally wrong and a violation of our constitution, it must be condemned and of course, the consequences of section 143 of our constitution should be invoked,” he had said.
Thereafter, Senate President Bukola Saraki referred the matter to the judiciary committee and asked it to come up with a recommendation on the way on Wednesday next week.
Since then, Urhoghide has come under serious pressure, with different groups threatening him.
Speaking with journalists at the Benin airport on Saturday, the lawmaker said though the president had a good intention of purchasing the aircraft, the procedure was wrong.
“An impeachment, if you check section 143, is a long process. The first thing is you have to do an investigation and then correspondences will be entered into; the president has to be written by the president of the senate, who is the chairman of the national assembly,” the senator said.
“Then, of course, he (Buhari) too will reply and this has to go on for a long time. We have not reached this issue of an impeachment. Nobody on the floor of the senate mentioned that the president should be impeached.
“So if the papers said that somebody said that the president should be impeached, it is out of ignorance. I am very proud to be a senator of the federal republic of Nigeria, representing Edo south senatorial district.
“As the chairman, senate committee on public accounts, all revenues and expenditure fall on my table. So, this is part of it. So, they should be proud that this is what it is. The constitution is above every person. So, we have not reached the point of impeachment.
“That was why the senate president said that we should refer it to a committee, so that it would advise on what to do. So, an impeachment is not the first thing; if I come and even say that the president should be impeached, I am ignorant.
“Section 143 is a very long section. So, if you look at the processes, you will know that it will take a lot of actions. So, if I moved a motion that the president should be impeached, then I must be stupid.
“I only said, ‘Invoke section 143’ so that processes will be followed; the president will still explain and the national assembly will still have do some enquiries.”