The APC earlier today asked the National Assembly to commence
impeachment proceedings against Pres. Jonathan for alleged 'gross
misconduct'. The presidency has replied the opposition party, telling
them to be ready to face the consequences of treason. Read the
State House Press release below
We have noted with utter disdain, the reckless and irresponsible
call by the APC on Sunday for the National Assembly to
commence impeachment proceedings against President Goodluck
Jonathan.
Ordinarily, we would not have dignified Alhaji Lai Mohammed’s
latest vituperations in the service of his paymasters with a
response, but we thought it necessary to warn that the Federal
Government will not standby idly and let the nation be plunged into
unnecessary crises and political instability because of the
desperation and apparent readiness of the APC spokesman and his
gang of power-seeking desperadoes to sacrifice the well-being
of the country on the altar of their selfish personal ambitions.
The Presidency totally condemns the decision by Alhaji Mohammed and
his party to move further beyond the bounds of honourable and
acceptable political conduct with the senseless call for the
impeachment of a President who continues to sincerely devote
himself to the discharge of the sacred mandate freely given to him by
Nigerians.
The APC, which remains a minority party with doubtful credentials in
the National Assembly, knows fully well that its attempt to hector
and blackmail a Parliament dominated by loyal members of the
President’s party, the PDP, into an impeachment process, will come
to nothing.
But it has cavalierly embarked on this outrageous gambit, with scant
regard for peace, order, security and political stability in the country, in
furtherance of its dastardly and heinous strategy of over-heating the
polity and working to cause public disaffection against the Jonathan
Presidency with lies, false accusations and unjustifiable indictments
ahead of the 2015 general elections.
The emptiness and hollowness of the APC’s call for President
Jonathan’s impeachment will be obvious to all objective and discerning
Nigerians who read through the statement issued by Alhaji Mohammed
today. It was long on self-serving rhetoric and falsehoods, but lacked a
single clearly defined charge on the basis of which any plausible
impeachment proceedings against the President can be initiated.
All that the APC could offer in justification of its absurd and hare-
brained impeachment call was a rehash of its well-worn litany of
baseless accusations against the President, including some for which
culpability should be laid squarely at the doorsteps of its own leaders
and some of their new friends.
The Presidency also considers it utterly deplorable that the APC has, in
its Machiavellian desperation to seize control of the Federal
Government, recklessly assailed the integrity and honour of the
Nigerian Judiciary in a callous attempt to pre-empt the outcome of
the case legitimately brought against it by some of its new friends by
the PDP.
Alhaji Mohammed’s unscrupulous effort to drag the nation’s judiciary
into its murky political warfare and his readiness to intimidate and
blackmail members of the bench so as to secure a favourable
outcome for his party in the pending case clearly shows that nothing is
beyond the pale for him and the APC in pursuit of their quest for
power.
The Jonathan Administration does not need Lai Mohammed or the APC
to remind it of its constitutional responsibility for the security and
well-being of Nigerians. The President will continue to do his utmost
best to achieve positive national transformation in all areas in spite of
efforts by the opposition to thwart or disparage the work of his
administration.
In this regard, we have noted the undisguised threat by the APC to
foster public insurrection against the Federal Government if pending
legal cases go against it. We urge Nigerians to take special note of this
boastful indication of an intention to resort to lawlessness.
The Presidency warns that the APC and any persons who make
themselves its willing tools for the breach of public order and safety
will be made to face the full sanctions of the law. Those who are
threatening fire and brimstone should be ready for consequences of
treasonable action.
The APC's false copy-cat allegation that 1, 000 snipers are being
trained by the Jonathan Administration clearly shows that they are
now in cahoots with some other elements who are bent on
discrediting this administration and inciting the public against it.
President Jonathan is running a people's government. He does not need
any snipers. His legitimacy comes from the people. Those who are
alleging the existence of snipers should step forward and provide the
evidence or shut up forever and go down in history as spineless
cowards, driven by sheer greed and indecency.
We dismiss the APC’s call for the President’s impeachment as
opportunistic, partisan and ill-motivated.
We call on patriots to make the necessary distinction between such
reckless violations of civic duty and the urgent need to protect the
integrity of the Nigerian nation against those who for selfish reasons
have declared their readiness to stop at nothing.
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
December 15, 2013
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