Buhari: ‘Resign Or Forget Emergency Powers’

As President Muhammadu Buhari’s proposed bill for emergency economic powers continues to attract intense condemnation from across the federation, the Akwa Ibom Vanguard, an Uyo-based socio-political group has challenged the president to exercise the executive powers vested on him by the Constitution to salvage the economy from total collapse, or resign immediately.
Leader of the group, Senator Aniette Okon, in a press conference in Uyo, called on the President to honourably resign from power, if he finds that he can no longer work within the confines of the present Constitution and forget the quest for any emergency powers to revive the economy.
According to him, “Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is our firm position that if President Buhari cannot operate within the confines of the Constitution, which he swore to respect and uphold; the honourable thing for him to do is to resign”.
Okon stressed that the present Constitution provides the President with sufficient powers to govern the nation, and steer it out of the present economic malaise.
Referring to a section of the proposed bill, Okon, expressed disbelief that the president truly needed emergency powers to achieve some of the things the Federal Government has set forth as grounds for the bill, describing the bill as “a cause for grave concern.
“The grant of emergency economic powers to President Muhammadu Buhari, in addition to the enormous powers he already wields, will most certainly turn him into a dictator, and make nonsense of our democracy and statehood”, the leader of Itu political elite noted.
In his contribution, the member representing Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Dr Henry Archibong, assured that members of the National Assembly were united in opposition to the bill.
“We are waiting for the bill. I wouldn’t speak for fellow National Assembly members but I want to believe that this kind of bill will not pass. When it comes to matters that involve Nigeria, we don’t make decisions based on party lines,” he said.
“Members of APC in the National Assembly are not happy with this administration. We encourage Nigerians to rise up and resist this bill,” he added.
Archibong reminded the president that National Assembly had approved over N6trln for the Executive to access as 2016 budget, regretting that not up to 30 per cent of it has been utilized.
He further lamented that not even 30 per cent of the N500billion allocated for poverty alleviation programmes has been spent.