CUPP asks lawmakers to boycott Buhari’s budget presentation

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has asked members of the national assembly to boycott the budget presentation of President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday.

In a statement by Imo Ugochinyere, its national spokesman, the coalition accused Buhari of disrespecting resolutions made by the parliament.

CUPP said Buhari does not deserve the company of democrats because attending the budget presentation would imply supporting the president’s “reign of impunity”.

It added that Buhari deserves an impeachment notice for his “many acts of gross misconduct, incompetence and obstruction of justice”.

“The opposition coalition holds the view that sitting down and listening to a man who has led several assaults on the institutions of our nation’s constitutional governance is tacit support to his many sins against our nation,”the statement read.

“This is a man who has refused to implement previous budgets passed since 2015 till date; a man who has committed gross misconduct and obstruction of justice by refusing to obey judgments of courts, including ECOWAS court; a man who disrespects and treats like tissue paper, resolutions of parliament.

“This is a man who promised to fix the economy but turned Nigeria into the poverty capital of the world; a man who commands security forces that have no respect for the lives of the citizens; a man who has failed to fight corruption squarely and fairly but rather protects the biggest looters of our nation’s treasury under his watch.

“He does not deserve the company of pure democrats found in the midst of the opposition because such attendance will be abiding and supporting the reign of impunity of Mr. President, who deserves an impeachment notice for his many acts of gross misconduct, incompetence and obstruction of justice and not attendance at his budget speech.”

Earlier, some members of the lower legislative chamber had earlier threatened to boycott the budget presentation over a comment credited to Udoma Udoma, minister of budget and national planning, that the national assembly was responsible for the delay in presentation.

The minister had denied saying so.