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Christian leaders denounce plan to impeach Nigeria's president
2002-223-3
10/1/2002
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[Episcopal News Service]
Christian leaders have denounced calls from the Nigerian parliament for the impeachment of President Olusegun Obasanjo, warning that it could derail democracy in the country.
The executive of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the country's main ecumenical body, representing Protestant, Anglican and Roman Catholic churches, on September 25 called on the nation's legislators to halt moves to impeach Obasanjo. 'This executive calls on the House of Representatives [the lower chamber of the national legislature] to stop every attempt to impeach the president because it is our belief that this is a distraction from the reality of this nation, especially as we are moving forward and preparing for the next elections,' said CAN in a statement following a meeting in Kaduna in northern Nigeria. Nigerian local, state and national elections are scheduled for early next year.
In August, Nigeria's House of Representatives gave Obasanjo two weeks to resign or face impeachment, accusing him of demonstrating 'monumental inadequacies, ineptitude, persistent disregard for the rule of law and obvious corruption.' Obasanjo refused to resign, saying the accusations against him were made with malicious intent. In a 17-page rebuttal, Tunji Oseni, the presidential spokesman, called the claims made by the legislators 'vexatious, malicious, mischievous, uncalled for, unconstitutional and therefore rejected outright as it was done in bad faith.'
Although the deadline expired without action, legislators have kept the impeachment debate alive. The constitution provides for impeachment if the 'president is guilty of gross misconduct in the performance of the functions of his office.' It requires a two-thirds majority of the upper and lower chambers of the national assembly.
Leaders of Nigeria's Anglican Church cautioned that a move to impeach the president could create chaos. Joseph Akinfenwa, Anglican bishop in Ibadan province and the church spokesman, said, 'As of today, the general public is dissatisfied with the performance of the legislators. They are being seen as [confused and] prepared to go to any length to destabilize the country.'
After more than three decades of military rule, democratic rule returned to Nigeria in 1999. A former British colony, the country gained independence in 1960.
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