Yesterday’s plenary at the Senate was almost disrupted following a deafening uproar that attended a claim by Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe that President Muhammadu Buhari is incompetent.
Abaribe’s allegation followed an adopted order 43 which he raised in reference to the excuse which the President gave while in London that the killer herdsmen were allegedly trained by Muammar Gaddafi, the late Libyan revolutionary leader.
In his explanation, Abaribe said, before now, two excuses had been made public in several fora by the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahaman Dambazzau and the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim kpotun Idris, saying the wanton killings by armed herdsmen was because their pastoral routes were blocked while the latter was credited to have said that it was due to the new state laws against open grazing.
He said, “Yesterday in London, President Muhammadu Buhari said the killings in the country was as a result of the people who were trained by the late Muammar Gaddafi. This, therefore, validates my earlier position that the president has failed to take charge of the protection of lives and property across the country as enshrined in our constitution to be his primary responsibility.
I, so make bold to say that the president is incompetent,” Abaribe asserted.
But this generated an uproar as All Progressives Congress, APC, senators took the remark of Abaribe as a direct disrespect to Buhari, who is a member and leader of the ruling party.
Senators Ahmed Lawan, the Senate Leader and Ibn Na’Allah, the deputy leader separately raised point of orders urging the red chamber to call Abaribe to order, tender apology and for him to be guided in his remarks.
However, Abaribe, in his apology said, “ If any words I used was misunderstood, I apologise “.
Yet, the Abia lawmaker was overruled by order 53 raised by Ibn Na’Allah to the effect that Abaribe should not discuss the conduct of the President.