Following Tuesday’s failed siege by men of the Department of Security Services (DSS) to allegedly effect an illegal change of leadership at the National Assembly that led to the sack of DSS Director, Lawal Daura, some Nigerians have demanded that the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, should also be relieved of his job over the Benue impeachment saga.
The DSS Director, Lawal Daura, became the major casualty of the ugly event of Tuesday as Acting President Yemi Osinbajo sacked him for the unathorised invasion of the federal legislature, which was roundly condemned by Nigerians and the international community.
The devious act may have been foiled but the ripples are spreading and the political wind is said to have some foreboding signs to come if appropriate and sweeping actions are not taken. At the moment the Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied any involvement in the unconstitutional act yet maintains a veiled threat to the position of the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki and his deputy Ike Ekweramadu, who the APC is said to be restrategising to impeach.
An analyst who preferred anonymity told BusinessDay on Wednesday that the APC is thoroughly upbraided over the incident at the National Assembly, but warned Bukola Saraki and the PDP, including those who defected from the APC, not to be too euphoric about the ‘temporary’ success they scored against the ruling party. He added that the APC chairman Adams Oshiomhole and his henchmen are back to their cocoon to launch a fiercer assault against the PDP.
According to him, “the APC is apprehensive that if the PDP returns to power in 2019, principal members of the current government including President Buhari will not be spared in a looming war on anti- corruption that will be very vengeful. The APC leadership is swimming in an ocean of corruption despite all the rhetoric of war against corruption.
“They have also failed to manage the economy and provide security leading to widespread poverty and death and destruction by the Boko Haram and the Fulani herdsmen. That is why the APC and some elements in the Presidency are losing sleep over the defections and they are ready to even commit more constitutional breaches to ensure that President Buhari wins in 2019.”
Also speaking to our correspondent on how Tuesday’s development will shape the 2019 elections, a public affairs analyst, Katch Ononuju, told BusinessDay that even as the sacking of the DSS Director was a welcome development, the IG of Police must also be sacked over his role in the illegal attempt by the police to assist some Benue State lawmakers to unconstitutionally impeach Benue state Governor Samuel Ortom, following the Governor’s decision to dump the APC for the People’s democratic Party(PDP).
He also alleged that the Federal Government was complicit in the invasion of the National Assembly, arguing that the Acting President only sacked the DSS boss when the international community allegedly mounted pressure and even threatened to expel Nigeria.
“Osinbajo was only pressured by the international community to either sack the people responsible or Nigeria will be will be expelled, that is why they acted. The truth is that all of them are in the plot. But when it failed Lawal Daura became the fall guy.
“They (Federal Government) are complicit, the government has done this severally, we saw it in Ekiti, we saw it in Benue state and we have seen it at the National Assembly. The DG DSS and the IG of police are the two perpetrators being controlled by the Buhari government.
“Osinbajo should also sack the police boss since what happened in Benue was staged by the police. If he does not sack the IG, then we will believe that he is actually supporting the invasion. So this kind of problem by leaders who control men that carry gun must be dealt with. If we don’t do it then democracy will be very much threatened,” he said.
Also reacting, Chairman of the National Unity Party (NUP), Perry Opara, who welcomed the sack of the DSS boss, noted that “it will be great injustice to sack Daura only without sacking the people that gave him the authorization to do what he did yesterday. I will urge the Acting President to extend his action to all those who authorized the action of the DG DSS no matter who they are. Everybody should be investigated.
“I have been made to understand that Daura has been interrogated and he mentioned some names. All those people should be investigated and appropriate action taken, if that does not happen it will affect 2019 election,” he said.
He however, exonerated President Buhari from the plot arguing that “if he had been part of it he will not have allowed Osinbajo to remove Daura. I know that more heads will roll because Nigerians were against what happened. It is no longer going to be government by cabal or kitchen cabinet,” he said.
He noted that Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), a coalition of about 40 political parties including the NUP and the PDP has been emboldened by the botched attempt, adding that the coalition being backed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, is on the right cause and winning the confidence of Nigerians. He sounded optimistic that CUPP is going to take over the reins of government in 2019.
“Nigerians are beginning to wake up from their political slumber because things are bad and they need a change. And for that reason every attempt by the APC to take Nigerians for a ride will fail and it will culminate in 2019 presidential election where we are going to vote APC out of power that is what is going to happen,” he said.
Jideofor Adibe, a senior lecturer with the Nasarawa State University Keffi, told BusinessDay that though the Acting President took an action that impressed Nigerians, the authoritarian impulses of the present government are part of the inevitable challenges of a country in democratic transition.
He however, noted that without the intervention of Osinbajo the consequences of what happened would have been very terrible for the country. “This is not a military regime and I don’t think they can get away with certain level of impunity. If the government in power were behind this plot it is already counterproductive for them as people are speculating.
“There has been a triumph of some persons and those people have seen what happened and the reaction of Nigerians. Some of those people that were behind this I won’t be surprised if some Western countries deny them visas and there are career winners and losers in this episode that happened.
“Those behind should have enough explanation to make. Remember the rhetoric of the APC chairman before the incident and today he is already on the defensive that he had nothing to do with. I don’t see how this will be a political mileage for the government in power,” he said.
Also contributing, the National Chairman of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) Yusuf Sani Yabagi, in a statement on Wednesday noted that ADP was relieved that the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, promptly sacked Daura, on Tuesday in clear demonstration of firmness and good sense, which has at least momentarily doused the tension in the country and saved Nigeria from a humongous embarrassment before the civilised world. He urged more vigilance among Nigerians on the shape of things to come.
