THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators have denied media re­ports that they were planning to initi­ate impeachment proceedings against President Muhammadu Buhari.

The clarification followed the re­cent letter by former chairman, Board of Trustees of the party calling on the National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi to “dissuade the PDP caucus in the National Assembly from participat­ing in the alleged “ill advised” adven­ture of removing President Muham­madu Buhari from office.”

In a statement jointly signed by Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Senate Minor­ity Whip, Senator Philip Aduda, and Senate Deputy Minority Whip, Sena­tor Biodun Olujimi, the PDP senators described the said impeachment plot as “false, baseless and unfounded.”

It read: “For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that the said impeachment plot is false, baseless and unfounded. The PDP Senate Caucus had neither dis­cussed nor participated in any dis­cussion or congregation on the issue of impeaching and/or serving notice of impeachment on President Mu­hammadu Buhari, GCFR. Hence, we advise Nigerians generally to be cautious in spinning and/or peddling rumours capable of heating up the polity.”

The lawmakers said they were more concerned about the economy than impeaching the President. “By the admission of the Hon. Minister of Finance of the Federal Republic of Nigeria when she appeared before the Senate on Thursday, July 21, 2016 at plenary, the Nigerian economy is technically in recession. Therefore, this is no time for politicking. Rather, we should all join hands together to address the problems of unemploy­ment, hunger, poverty and insecurity currently ravaging our country,” the PDP senators said.

The statement added: “The down­turn in the economy is of more con­cern to us as PDP senators who are known patriots. Nigerians are passing through very difficult times and our immediate concern is how to assist in proffering solutions to the economic crises that we are presently faced with.”

“Before the Senate proceeded on a six-week recess on Thursday, July 21, 2016, there was no such item as impeachment of President Muham­madu Buhari, GCFR, on the agenda of the PDP Senate Caucus or that of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” and vowed to work with other senators to enact legislations that will uplift the living standards of Nigerians.”