Members of the House of Representatives have commenced moves aimed at impeaching and removing President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for his perceived roles in the $620,000 bribery scandal rocking the House.
The Eagle Online gathered that the Representatives have started gathering signatures for the purpose.
It was learnt that the members of the House believe that Jonathan became a part of the plot to indict the suspended Chairman of the ad hoc committee that probed the fuel subsidy regime, Hon. Farouk Lawan, and embarrass the whole House in the bid weaken and remove the leadership of the House.
A ranking Representative told The Eagle Online: “Jonathan has never been comfortable with the leadership of the House because we were elected devoid of imput from the Presidency.
“So the Presidency sees the leadership of the House as too independent to be compromised.
“Hence, when the opportunity came through the $620,000 scandal, it was easy for the Presidency to join in the plot, using the State Security Service and other security agencies, to indict just Lawan and leaving out the bribe giver, Femi Otedola (Chairman of Zenon Oil).”
Members of the House who spoke with The Eagle Online admitted that there was indeed a deal between Lawan and Otedola to remove the names of the two companies owned by Otedola, indicted by the report of the Lawan-led ad hoc committee.
They also said that contrary to the impression being created, the money given to Lawan was not marked because, according to one of them, the SSS came into the plot “a little too late.
“The money given to Lawan belongs to Otedola and, unfortunately, the deal was almost concluded before the security agencies were brought in.”
The source said this has been why it has become difficult for the security agencies to arraign Lawan because there is no evidence against him.”
It was learnt that this was also why the Director General of the SSS solicited the support of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, in retrieving the bribe money from Lawan.
Sources told The Eagle Online that the DG of the SSS had a meeting with Tambuwal where he pleaded with the speaker to prevail on Lawan to return the bribe money.
Tambuwal reportedly asked the security agency boss if he was a debt collector and left the meeting angrily, a source told The Eagle Online.
A source in the House added: “If indeed the security agents carried out a sting operation, why was Lawan not arrested on the spot?
“Is that not the essence of what is called a sting operation?
“You already have the evidence and Lawan does not have immunity that could have prevented them from arresting him on the spot.
“But they knew that they would not be able to present any solid evidence against him because it was purely a bribe deal meant to remove Otedola’s companies’ names from the list of those indicted by the ad hoc committee’s report.
“It was Otedola that initiated the bribe and gave his own money to Lawan in order to escape indictment.
“Indeed, the Presidency is only harping on the development to hatch its plot to embarrass the leadership of the House and change it.
“You know the leadership of the House emerged without recourse to the Presidency and has not pandered to the wishes of the Executive since it emerged.
“It is in this regard that the Representatives too have decided to also prove to the President that he does not have the monopoly of wisdom in this issue.”
It was learnt that a vast majority of members have keyed into the move to begin an impeachment and removal proceeding against Jonathan once the House reconvenes.
But the source said this is being done without the imput of Tambuwal, who is said to be against “rocking the boat.”
One of the offences for which the President is to be impeached is his failure to implement the SURE programme, which should have been a gain of the increase in the price of petrol in January 2012.
Jonathan had promised to use the gains made from the increase in the cost of petrol from N65 to N97 for the benefit of Nigerians through well structured intervention programmes.
A Rep said: “But till now, all we are hearing are mere rhetoric and no action.
“So we are also set to take up the President on this and see where this lands us.”
Both the Presidency and Otedola have denied any wrongdoing in the process that led to the arrest of Lawan for collecting the bribe.
Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, said the Presidency knew nothing about the operation that led to the arrest of Lawan and was not involved in the process of giving him the bribe money.
Otedola said it was Lawan that demanded for the bribe and that he decided to report to security agents because his companies did no wrong in the process of importing fuel into the country.