How Obasanjo escaped impeachment – Aminu Bello Masari
– The former speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Bello Masari, has revealed the particular action which prevented Obasanjo’s impeachment by the House of Representatives
– According to Masari, the former president only managed to escape impeachment when prominent Nigerians waded into the matter
– Masari who is now the governor of Katsina state, stated that the episode was instructive of the nature and impact of executive-legislature relations on the overall governance of the country
Aminu Bello Masari, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, has revealed how former President Olusegun Obasanjo was saved from impeachment.
According to reports, Masari who is now the governor of Katsina state disclosed that it took the intervention of prominent Nigerians to stop the lower legislative chamber from impeaching the former president.
plusmilang.com gathers that the governor made his comments at the Institute for Security Studies in Abuja, as he addressed members of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 10 (EIMC 10).
He stated: “In the present Republic, there have been spates of threats of impeachment, and absence of cordiality between the executive and the legislature.
“Even at the federal level, we could recall the acrimonious relationship that defined Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration and the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003. “The highlight of this hostility and militant disposition of the House was the attempted impeachment of Obasanjo.
“Of course, the move was jettisoned following intervention of some well-meaning Nigerians. “But the experience was unique and instructive of the nature and impact of executive-legislature relations on the overall governance of the country and the development of democracy.”
Masari also stated that he had no hand in the recent removal of the speaker of the Katsina state House of Assembly.
plusmilang.com previously reported that a former speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, in an interview, talked about his regret at not impeaching former President Olusegun Obasanjo when he had the chance.
In the interview, Na’Abba spoke about his trials and regrets during his time as the speaker, and what it meant to be at the forefront of Nigerian politics.
