Presidential Pardon: CPC Urges Senate To Commence Impeachment Proceedings Against Jonathan

The Congress for Progressive Change, CPC has faulted the recent pardon granted former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, Bulama and five others, including late Maj.-Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua; former Chief of General Staff, Lt.-Gen. Oladipo Diya; former Minister of Works, late Maj.-Gen. Abdulkareem Adisa; ex-Major Bello Magaji and Alhaji Mohammed Lima Biyu, saying it’s pardon for criminality.

In a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Rotimi Fashakin, the CPC berated the president over the decision, saying “there is a self-serving agenda by the Jonathan regime ahead of the 2015 election.”

“The power of prerogative of mercy granted to Presidents in various jurisdictions, though discretional, is expected to be exercised with perspicacity and utmost circumspection.

“Though the ostensible and much-trumpeted reason is for national cohesion, we have on good authority that the main reason is a self-serving agenda by the Jonathan regime ahead of the 2015 election.

“Under the Nigerian extant law, which prescribes a 10-year disqualification for any ex-convict, Chief Alamieyeseigha is ineligible for any electoral contest in 2015 since his conviction was done in 2006. As a party, we are aware of the burden of responsibility on us to lend our voice to the vociferous condemnation of this ‘pardon for brazen criminality’ by the Jonathan administration.”

The party called on the Senate to commence impeachment proceedings against the president if he fails to review the decision of the Council of State.

“Without any scintilla of doubt, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, as President, has ceased from serving the collective interest of the Nigerian people and the nation state. He seems more pre-occupied with political maneuvers that are deleterious to the corporate existence of the Nation state, than ensuring good governance through enunciation of policies that do not offend the ethno-religious balance of the polity.

“It is, therefore, our considered view, in the CPC, that the Senate should mitigate this national embarrassment from the President’s action by suing for rescission of this amnesty order on Mr Alamieyeseigha and Mr Shettima Bulama or in the event of refusal, to commence impeachment proceedings for gross abuse of executive authority and total disregard for the feelings of the Nigerian people,” the statement read.