FLASHBACK: In 2015, Osinbajo said president’s failure to secure citizens is impeachable offence

Amid the recent violent attacks across the country, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is now being referred to his 2015 statement where he said it is an impeachable offence if the president cannot secure the lives and property of citizens. 

At the time, about a month to the 2015 presidential election, Osinbajo, running mate to Muhammadu Buhari under the All Progressives Congress (APC), seemed to be sending a note to Goodluck Jonathan, the incumbent who was also seeking reelection under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Just a year before, in 2014, more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted in their hostel in Chibok, Borno state.

The incident sparked off an outrage locally and internationally, scaring the Jonathan government. Hundreds of residents in the north-east were also displaced by Boko Haram attacks. 

A fundamental issue in the Buhari/Osinbajo campaign to unseat Jonathan was security, especially in the north-east. 

Osinbajo, on February 8, 2015, took to Twitter to imply that Jonathan be removed because he appeared incapable of tackling the security challenges. 

“If the president says I’ve lost the capacity to guarantee the security of lives and property, it’s certainly an impeachable offence,” he tweeted. 

"If the president says I've lost the capacity to guarantee the security of lives and property, it's certainly an impeachable offence."
– PYO

— Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (@ProfOsinbajo) February 8, 2015

Pundits have argued that one of the reasons Jonathan lost the election to Buhari in 2015 was his seeming inability to end the incessant attacks. 

Fast forward to five years after under Buhari, security still remains the biggest challenge. 

Last Saturday, Boko Haram insurgents killed 45 farmers in Zabarmari in Jere local government area of Borno, in an attack the United Nations described as “the most violent attack” targeted at civilians in 2020.

There have also been reports of killings, kidnapping and banditry in the north-west region. 

While Buhari has not said he lacks the capability to tackle insecurity, Nigerians are now linking Osinbajo’s 2015 tweet with the failure of the Buhari government to mitigate the security challenges. 

Below are some of the recent reactions on Osinabjo’s 2015 tweet: 

@nassnigeria @NGRSenate @HouseNGR @DrAhmadLawan @femigbaja What are you waiting for? https://t.co/06A33sCrYb

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— Emmanuel Jesuyon Dansu (@ejdansu) December 1, 2020

https://twitter.com/whalesplannet/status/1333784274537832451

Have u commence the process of impeachment? Ur principal lacks the capacity to protect lives and property now…#BuhariResignNow #EndBadGovernanceinNIGERIA #EndBadGovernanceinNIGERIA https://t.co/TWblfkMLzh

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— Chuks Ikem (@chuksdickson) December 1, 2020

Do you still stand by these words or you merely said it because you needed Power by all means? https://t.co/sPPampuFdc

— Nwaeke Francis (@NwaekeFrancis) November 30, 2020