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Tag: impeachment

  • Akeredolu masterminding my impeachment through bribery – Deputy Gov cries out

    Akeredolu masterminding my impeachment through bribery – Deputy Gov cries out

    Ondo Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi has raised the alarm over moves by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to impeach him.

    Ajayi resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he hopes to contest the governorship election.

    Ajayi who insisted on no resigning his position said Governor Akeredolu planned to impeach him through illegal and unconstitutional means.

    He said the ‘illegal’ impeachment would be carried out through financial inducement of members of Ondo Assembly to the tune of N10m each.

    Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Babatope Okeowo, Ajayi alleged the Assembly complex has been besieged by men of the Nigeria Police while lawmakers that do not comply were prevented from entering the complex.

    According to the statement: “We wish to state that the deputy governor is a tested politician of note, who is not unprepared for this type of kangaroo and infamous move from the desperate and drowning governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu and his group.

    “By joining People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Agboola Ajayi has not committed any impeachable offence. He has only exercised his constitutional right of freedom of association. Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides as follows:

    “Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular, he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any association for the protection of his interests.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, we state unequivocally that the Governor and his allies do not have and cannot muster the requisite majority in the House of Assembly for the removal of the Deputy Governor under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 in any free, fair and transparent process.

    “We remain undaunted in the move to throw off the combined weight of those kneeling on the neck of Ondo State. Our state shall not be allowed to suffocate. At the appropriate time, the people of Ondo State shall decide the right person, who will serve as the arrowhead of the bid to save the state from the nepotistic clique kneeling on her neck.”

    Reacting, Ondo Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo described the allegation as the height of perfidy and another pernicious warp from an intellectually challenged and treacherous personality.

    “Knowledge cannot be procured, but only be acquired. For anyone to aver that lawmakers have been financially induced is a gross display of emptiness.

    “It becomes more laughable when such comes from someone who had boasted about having majority members in the Assembly. Clearly, while the Executive led by Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN does not believe in inducement, it is left for our very reputable Legislative Arm to either confirm or debunk this spurious allegation,” he said.

  • The trial of America – Hope Eghagha

    The trial of America – Hope Eghagha

    By Hope Eghagha

    On the impeachment matter, it can be said that America had been on trial. On trial in the eyes of the world. Not President Donald Trump, not really Donald Trump that is, even though he was in the dock. America tried itself. The world tried America. American tried its institutions. The idea of America was compelled to face the crucial test of the primacy of the rule of law, fairness, truth, justice and equity. That nation which is presented in the biblical metaphor of a city set on a hill was on trial. From the investigations of the Democratic Party-dominated House of Representatives through the Republican-controlled Senate and the final verdict, the American Idea, or the idea that is America was tried.

    In the end, America did not pass its own test, in our eyes. Yes, in our eyes. What do we matter in the survival of America? Nothing really. Our votes do not count in America. As minions and infinitesimal homo sapiens from a continent infested with official corruption and criminal administrative incompetence, who are we to stand in judgment over America? Yet, seen in another light, that is why we need the city that is on the hill. As an example. As gold that cannot, must not rust. Although a democracy, America does not need the democratic support of the world to have its way. The arsenal of mass destruction at its disposal is bullishly intimidating. America will wait for November 2020 to pass a verdict on all stakeholders in the impeachment brouhaha. That is what counts. And for that America must wait!

    We, believers in America though were disenchanted by the conclusion of the process. Not because the president was not found guilty by Senate. But because truth was seen from the prism of party lines. We never thought America could decide an issue as fundamental as this on strictly party loyalty. Survival. Not honour. Not the Ideal. Bread and butter. Survival of the Republican Party. Just like the politicians we are used to in Africa. In the Third World. The world without order. We were simply appalled that the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court could preside over a trial in which the White House withheld 71 documents and blocked 12 witnesses from testifying! The Law could do nothing about obstruction of justice. In a proper trial, he would re-direct the court process to guarantee a fair trial. But we are told the law is the law! Not because the Chief Justice was appointed by the Republicans. Not because he has Republican ideals and beliefs in his blood and brain. Is that why in Notes of a Native Son James Baldwin quipped: ‘The American ideal, after all, is that everyone should be as much alike as possible?

    What is the idea of America, we ask ourselves? I remember John Gunther’s reference to America as ‘ours is he only country deliberately founded on a good idea”. What is America to the free world? Is the American idea, the American ideal constant? Is it in a flux, pulled by forces known and unknown? Should it be constant? Can a nation which once institutionalized racism be an ideal nation, still be a city on the hill? Is there a contest between religions as epitomized by the idea of America as we currently perceive it? Is justice political, allowed to serve political interests and still be justice for all, justice done and seen to be done?

    Senate chaplain Barry Black’s prayer “Remind our senators that they alone are accountable to You for their conduct. Lord help them to remember that they can’t ignore You and get away with it” – did not save America. God did not answer the chaplain. He looked the other way and allowed them to have their way. So, loyalty to party interest, not American interest won the day. Which is a sad day for champions of ethical beauty. A sad day for eternal things. The conclusion is that things are not always what they seem to be. Institutions represent a country. Yes, they do. These are institutions are made up of men and women. Of course, we witnessed the beauty of the minds of the men and women who spoke for and against the President in Senate. Excellent arguments. Puerile arguments. Less than intelligent arguments. The duplicitous art of speaking from both sides of the mouth. Technology was at play. AI was recruited also. Human intelligence directed Artificial intelligence. But minds were made up. Hard work. Decades of established convention. Whether these efforts yielded the truth or not, the institutions stood. The persons may have failed. But the institutions stood to be counted. Which is a contradiction. Only to be resolved by a deus ex machina.

    But of course, if America failed us, we could only lament. In power and in might, America dwarfs the world. At the height of the Cold War, America wore a garment of moral authority. Or so it seemed. It is possible that we elevated America beyond its true moral integrity as a corporate body. The proclaimed and much vaunted projected ideals set out in the American Constitution are subject to human frailty. E.E. Cummings acknowledged this when he said: “America makes prodigious mistakes, America has colossal faults, but one thing cannot be denied: America I always on the move. She may be going to hell, of course, but at least she isn’t standing still”. But if America could not sustain its name, if it did not believe in the grand personality of the nation, we indeed wanted it to be different. The ideals of America are needed in the world. Or so I think. Yet I come from an infinitesimal continent and country! So, what does my thought matter? Sometimes, leaders emerge, leaders with immense power, who are unable to rise to the ideals of a nation. They then try to bring the nation to their level. They sometimes succeed in dragging the entire nation along till the scales fall off the eyes of the collective mind!

    Perhaps considering the political mess which my country has found tragically itself, I should direct all my energy towards proffering solutions to the baffling level of foolishness hereabout. In the end, the Senate chaplain’s prayer: “Stand up, omnipotent God, stretch yourself, and let this nation and world know that let this nation and world know that You alone are sovereign” will give us an anchor through restitution in a manner that will be pleasantly wonderful to us all. As Chief Justice of the, the World Sovereign will reign eternal and will bring down those that exalt themselves while elevating the abased ones.

    Eghagha can be reached on 0806 325 9454 or heghagha@yahoo.com

  • Impeachment: Senate acquits Trump of charges

    By Dayo Benson Editor Politics,Law/Human Rights, New York

    In what appeared like an anti-climax, the United States Senate, Wednesday evening, expectedly acquitted President Donald John Trump, of the two articles of impeachment by the House of Representatives.

    President Trump was acquitted by the Republican controlled Senate with majority votes of 48-52, on the first article, “Abuse of Power.” Republican Senator Mitt Romney, broke ranks to vote against his party in the first article. Trump was also acquitted of the second article, “Obstruction of Congress” by 47-53 votes.

    The anticipated acquitted came five days after the Senate voted against calling new witnesses and subpoena documents.

    The historic event also came on the heels of the State of the Union Address which the President delivered Tuesday night before a joint session of the Congress. Curiously, the address was silent on the Senate trial.

    Order 23 of the Senate Rules and Order of Procedure requires two third majority to convict and remove the President from office. That requires 67 votes. Conversely, the rule however requires 38 votes to acquit him.

    Consequently, Presiding Chief Justice John Robert, citing Senate Order 23, ruled that the judgment of the Senate should be communicated to the Secretary of State and the House of Representatives.

    Trump’s case was the third time in the United States history for a President to be impeached by the Congress, but acquitted by the Senate. The first was President Andrew Jonson in 1868, and President Bill Clinton in 1999. Trump was however the first President to be impeached in his first term in office.

    The acquittal brought to an end the Senate trial which began January 16,2020. President Trump is expected to react officially to the acquittal at 12 noon, Thursday, February 6, 2020. He had repeatedly disparaged the impeachment by the House of Representatives as “a hoax and a witch-hunt.”

  • The great escape: How Trump survived impeachment

    The great escape: How Trump survived impeachment

    Will historians find Donald Trump’s impeachment remarkable because Republican politicians turned a blind eye to such egregious wrongdoing and acquitted him? Or will they find it remarkable because it was the last time a cadre of Republican officials publicly turned against Trump?

    While most of the career civil servants who defied the president by testifying in the impeachment inquiry do not publicly identify as Republican, many were Trump appointees with strong Republican ties, while other key figures such as former national security advisor John Bolton are wizened party warriors.
    In the end, only one elected Republican, Mitt Romney, voted against Trump, making the question of his ultimate survival of impeachment not even close. So, while Trump will forever be an impeached president, his acquittal should count as a major political win. Here’s how it went down:
    The base stuck with him

    In a string of speeches this week, Republican senators have explained their votes to acquit Trump by impugning the strength of the Democratic case, repeating quibbles with the process in the House of Representatives, and expressing offense at various things the impeachment managers or top Democrats said or did.
    But did Trump really avoid removal because House speaker Nancy Pelosi passed out pens after the articles of impeachment were signed, or because lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff made reference to a news story about senators’ heads on pikes?

    A more likely explanation for Trump’s survival was the unchanging opposition of the Republican base to removal. The proportion of Republicans favoring removal fluctuated between 8% and 10%, while support for removal among Independents was likewise stationary at around 42%, according to FiveThirtyEight. That wasn’t enough pressure to get lawmakers’ attention.
    Elected Republicans stayed in line

    Where the base goes, the elected politicians shall follow, and in this case the base went nowhere. And so elected Republicans went nowhere, with the exception of Romney supporting Trump from (Senator Lamar) Alexander to (Representative Lee) Zeldin.

    Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, Republican Lindsey Graham and others said before the trial that they would not be impartial jurors, despite a sworn oath of impartiality they took as the trial began. Against such loyalty to Trump, what piece of evidence or argument could be expected to make a dent?
    In some cases, the extent of Republicans’ defense of Trump seemed to exceed what was strictly necessary to protect the president from removal. Instead of questioning witnesses, Republicans in the House wove conspiracy theories about Hunter Biden. Instead of calling witnesses, Republicans in the Senate withheld at length on the sheer impossibility of knowing what Trump was thinking when he withheld aid to Ukraine.
    The Senate is broken

    From the dust of Democratic losses in the 2014 midterm elections halfway through Barack Obama’s second term rose a new Senate majority leader, McConnell, who cruised in with a 10-seat majority on sub-basement turnout.

    In the two US Senate election years since then, Democratic candidates have attracted a whopping 29 million more votes than Republican candidates – but the Republican majority has shrunk by only a couple seats. That’s because each state gets two senators no matter how few people live there.

    In short, the US Senate is not representative of the country, which as a whole favored the introduction of witnesses and documents at the trial, a step blocked by Republicans.

    Mind-blowing stat: 48 Senators who voted to convict Trump represent 18 million more Americans than 52 Republicans who voted to acquit
    — Ari Berman (@AriBerman) February 5, 2020

    No thanks to Schiff

    Whatever factors Trump can point to that aided his survival in office, not on the list is the performance of the House impeachment managers, led by intelligence committee chair Schiff.

    As soon as Democrats realized the White House was trying to prevent a whistleblower complaint from reaching Congress, Schiff opened the investigation that

    Pelosi deemed a formal impeachment inquiry on 24 September. Over the next four-plus months, Democrats fought against a blanket gag imposed by Trump to gather evidence and bring the details of the case to the public.

    After Trump ordered his administration to refuse to comply with subpoenas, Republicans faulted Democrats for failing to gather evidence. After lawyers for Bolton threatened the House with a lawsuit if he were subpoenaed, Republicans faulted Democrats for not issuing the subpoena.

    Against each obstacle, the managers and staff worked forward, conducting depositions, holding public hearings, issuing public reports and finally prosecuting the case in the Senate well. At trial, Schiff in particular anthologized the facts against Trump to weave damning accounts of the president’s conduct.

    However Trump will claim victory at having escaped removal, the case against him is in the can.

    The Guardian

  • Impeachment: Trump admits withholding documents from House during trial

    President Trump suggested Wednesday that he is comfortable with the impeachment trial charade going on in the US Senate as he admitted in his own words in Davos, Switzerland that the White House is withholding evidence about his dealings with Ukraine.

    “Honestly, we have all the material. They don’t have the material,” the president told reporters in Davos, Switzerland, where he is attending the World Economic Forum, regarding the documents the White House has refused to turn over and which the Mitch McConnell led majority has blocked from being requessted for.

    “When we released that conversation, all hell broke out with the Democrats because they say, wait a minute, this is much different than shifty Schiff told us, so we’re doing very well. I got to watch enough, I thought our team did a very good job,” Trump said, referencing House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA), who has spearheaded the House impeachment inquiry against the president.

    Rep. Val Demings (D-FL), one of the seven congressional impeachment managers, blasted Trump’s admission on Twitter, writing, “The second article of impeachment was for obstruction of Congress: covering up witnesses and documents from the American people. This morning the President not only confessed to it, he bragged about it.”

  • Impeachment trial of Trump to get under way

    Impeachment trial of Trump to get under way

    The Senate trial of President Donald Trump is due to get underway in earnest at 1 pm (1800 GMT) on Tuesday, only the third impeachment trial of a president in U.S. history.

    The 100 members of the upper chamber will gather for what is likely to be the first full day of proceedings in the case.

    Last week, senators and the chief justice were sworn in.

    Since then, the Democratic Party lawmakers who will head the prosecution, known as the House managers, have filed their legal brief and Trump’s defence team has done the same.

    The president is accused firstly of having abused the power of his office to pressure Ukraine into announcing an investigation of his domestic political rival, Joe Biden, in order to potentially help Trump’s re-election campaign.

    The second article of impeachment says he obstructed Congress’ investigation of the Ukraine affair.

    Both articles were approved last month by the House of Representatives.

    The president denies wrongdoing.

    His legal team said on Monday that the president “is the victim” of a “rigged process” motivated by politics and that he has done nothing wrong.

    The brief argues that the case is “flimsy” and that the two articles of impeachment “allege no crime or violation of law whatsoever”.

    Later on Monday Republicans proposed 12-hour daily sessions for the trial, setting a gruelling pace for the start of the case.

    Democrats immediately expressed their anger, calling the proposal “a national disgrace”.

    Trump is framing the impeachment as an attempt to overturn the 2016 election.

    Democrats say the president’s behaviour is threatening the integrity of the election later this year.

    Senators must remain silent during proceedings, which are due to take place every day except on Sundays, until a decision is reached.

    Two-thirds of members are required to remove a president from office.

    The Senate is controlled by Trump’s Republican party and the most likely outcome is an acquittal.

  • Uzodinma raises alarm over alleged impeachment plots

    …Fingers PDP lawmakers

    Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma on Monday accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of plotting to incite the House of Assembly to impeach him.

    He accused sponsors of the nationwide protest against his Supreme Court victory of attempting to bring down the government.

    Uzodinma said the impeachment plot was to be anchored on an alleged $12million fraud case against him.

    In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Oguike Nwachukwu, the governor accused the PDP of sponsoring the media report to incite the public and state lawmakers against him.

    “We know the gameplan of the PDP because we are aware that they have been secretly inciting Imo State House of Assembly members to think of how to impeach the governor.

    “So, they are trying to rake up anything they can, even falsehood, to incite the public,” the statement reads.

    The governor said he had briefed his lawyers on the allegation.

    He said a media report tried to raise dust about him on old allegations that had long been settled and dismissed as non-issues.

    On allegations of non-assets declaration, dud cheque issuance and travel ban, the governor said there was “no iota of truth in the allegations”.

    “They know very well that the assets declaration allegation was fallaciously contrived and has been thrown out by the court,” the governor said.

    On the protests by PDP members, the governor, while addressing All Progressives Congress (APC) members, who staged a solidarity rally for him over his victory at the Supreme Court, urged security agencies to investigate the sponsors’ intention.

    He said: “Why are they organising a nationwide protest on an event concerning Imo? If they didn’t have ulterior motive to bring down the government, they could have held the rally in Imo State.

    “We are one united and indivisible country. We did not challenge the election on the grounds of violence or over-voting, but we asked the court to add our votes that were not included.”

    The governor urged the people to go about their normal businesses.

    “I’m in charge and it is by the grace of God that I’m your governor,” he said.

    Also on Monday, kinsmen of former Governor Rochas Okorocha asked him to keep away from Uzodinma to enable the new administration to succeed.

    Okorocha and Uzodimma are from the same senatorial district (Orlu Zone).

    The kinsmen, under the aegis of Orlu Zurumee Youth Assembly, said Okorocha had nothing positive to offer the new administration.

    They said his eight-year administration left them poorer and more alienated than ever.

    The group’s spokesman Odunze Chibuike said in a statement: “The ongoing effort by Chief Okorocha to impose himself on Governor Uzodinma and to a reasonable extent, present himself as a partaker in the victory of Governor Uzodinma with the entitlements that go with it, have been a source of worry to us.

    “Ever since the Supreme Court pronounced Uzodinma as Governor of Imo State, Chief Okorocha has gone to town in jubilation for a victory he had vehemently resisted and ferociously fought against.

    “He has rubbed it in that the victory in effect belongs to him, and by extension has saved him from the repercussions of his eight years of ruinous misrule.

    “This has left an unsavoury taste in the mouth of Orlu people and Imo people at large, who have rejected Okorocha and despised his ways.

    “It is shameful that there is absolutely nothing today in Orlu zone that shows that Okorocha governed Imo for eight years.

    “Even the private university he built for himself has become a source of sorrow to the people of his hometown, Ogboko.”

    The group argued that the worst road infrastructure anywhere in Nigeria is found in Orlu zone.

    “We are, therefore, insisting that Okorocha must stay far away from this new administration because his influence will be subversive, negative and disastrous.

    “With the appointments made so far, we are confident that Governor Uzodinma already has begun to choose competent hands who will deliver value and make Imo work again,” the statement added.

    Also yesterday, 650 Imo traditional rulers assured Uzodinma of their support.

    Chairmen of the traditional rulers from the 27 Local Government Areas, led by the Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Majesty, Eze Agunwa Ohiri, paid the governor a courtesy visit.

    The governor assured them of his readiness to conduct a fresh council election in line with the law.

    The governor assured them that his policies will meet the yearnings and aspirations of Imo people.

  • US senate announces date for Trump impeachment trial

    The impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump in the Senate is likely to begin next week Tuesday with key players sworn in later this week, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

    McConnell said he expected the House of Representatives to deliver the articles of impeachment against Trump to the upper chamber today.

    “We believe that if that happens — in all likelihood — we’ll go through preliminary steps here this week which could well include the chief justice coming over and swearing in members of the Senate and some other kinds of housekeeping measures,” McConnell told reporters.

    “We hope to achieve that by consent which would set us up to begin the actual trial next Tuesday.”

    Trump faces charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, and the 100 senators will be his judge.

    On Thursday or Friday this week, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is expected to be sworn in to preside over the trial, which should last at least two weeks, and could run through mid-February.

    Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House speaker, called for a fair trial and demanded the Senate subpoena witnesses and documents from the White House that will be crucial in the trial.

    “The American people deserve the truth, and the Constitution demands a trial… The president and the senators will be held accountable,” she added.

    Trump will become only the third president in US history to go on trial, risking his removal from office.

    But his conviction is highly unlikely, given Republicans’ 53-47 control of the Senate, and the high two-thirds vote threshold required to find him guilty.

     

  • Impeachment: Democrats add ‘new evidence’ to nail Trump

    Impeachment: Democrats add ‘new evidence’ to nail Trump

    Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives said on Tuesday they would include new evidence when they send formal impeachment charges against President Donald Trump to the Senate on Wednesday, seeking to expand the scope of a trial that will dominate Washington for the next several weeks.

    Senior Democrats said they would include phone records and other documents provided by Florida businessman Lev Parnas when they make their case that Trump abused his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden.

    Parnas was an associate of Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, who says Parnas helped him investigate Biden. The Ukraine-born Parnas has pleaded not guilty to federal campaign-finance violations in a separate criminal case.

    The late inclusion of Parnas’ records, which were only made available to investigators in the last few days, suggested Democrats were trying to further substantiate their case before it heads to the Senate for trial.

    Trump became only the third U.S. president to be impeached when the House last month approved charges that he abused the powers of his office and obstructed Congress in its investigation into his conduct.

    The House will vote on Wednesday to send the impeachment charges to the Senate, kicking off a trial that could last through early February. It will also name the House lawmakers who will prosecute the case against Trump.

    The Senate is expected to acquit Trump, as none of its 53 Republicans have voiced support for ousting him, a step that would require a two-thirds majority in the 100-member Senate.

    House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had delayed sending the impeachment charges to the Senate in an unsuccessful effort to get Republicans who control the chamber to agree to include new witness testimony that could be damaging to the Republican president.

    Republicans mocked Pelosi for the delay, saying it undercut her argument that Congress needed to impeach Trump because he was inviting foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election.

    Democrats said the delay allowed new evidence to emerge through government records requests — and now, the material provided by Parnas.

    Democrats said Parnas’ phone included a screenshot of a previously undisclosed May 10, 2019, letter from Giuliani to then President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine.

    “In my capacity as personal counsel to President Trump and with his knowledge and consent, I request a meeting with you,” Giuliani wrote.

    WITNESSES?
    One of the most contentious issues that has not yet been resolved is whether to have witnesses in the Senate trial.

    Democrats want to hear from current and former White House officials, such as former national security adviser John Bolton, who they believe could provide insight into Trump’s pressure campaign on Ukraine.

    Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has resisted the idea of calling witnesses or digging up new evidence in the trial, saying his chamber should only consider evidence that has been collected by the House.

    Wednesday’s House vote would allow the Senate to begin considering the charges against Trump next week, McConnell said. All the U.S. senators present will act as the jury at the trial, which will be overseen by the head of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John Roberts.

    Slideshow (13 Images)
    Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has dismissed his impeachment as a partisan bid to undo his 2016 election win as he tries to win re-election in November.

    “It’s just to try and smear this president because they know they can’t beat him at the ballot box,” White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told Fox News.

    The case against Trump is focused on a July 25 telephone call in which he asked Zelenskiy to open a corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter, as well as a discredited theory that Ukraine, not Russia, meddled in the 2016 U.S. election.

    Joe Biden, whose son served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company, is a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination to face Trump in the Nov. 3 election. Both Bidens have rejected the allegations and no evidence has emerged to substantiate them.

  • Trump’s impeachment and the probabilities – Carl Umegboro

    Trump’s impeachment and the probabilities – Carl Umegboro

    By Carl Umegboro

    PRESIDENT of the United States of America, Donald Trump is no doubt in the midst of the storm having been impeached by the House of Representatives. Trump was accused of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress which tantamount to gross misconducts. However, the Senate is yet to make its verdict. Making the matter worse, the latest opinion poll reportedly conducted in the United States revealed that majority favoured Trump’s impeachment.

    Peradventure the Senate; upper chamber of the United States Congress pursuant to Article 1, Section 3 (6) and (7) of the US Constitution affirmed the verdict, Trump’s political career is ruined. And if a vote for his removal eventually scaled through, Trump will pack his luggage to join the league of fired presidents in the world. This is no good time for embattled Trump at all. The ‘impeachment’ tag on his neck already is not a positive scorecard let alone removal from office.

    In the US history, Andrew Johnson on February 24, 1868 was impeached by House of Representatives for violating the Tenure of Office Act but not removed from office by the Senate. Bill Clinton was similarly impeached by the lower Congress on December 19, 1998 over perjury and obstruction of justice but pardoned by the Senate. Clinton’s antecedents and comportments compellingly appeased Senate’s ‘red card’.

    Believably, Clinton’s maturity and charisma distinctively worked in his favour after his indictment, possibly his understanding that sovereignty belongs to the people. In the heat of his saga, Clinton evoked emotions and actually wept for his debaucheries before the Congress unlike Trump’s bossy displays and counter-attacks. In a democracy, the legislature and judiciary call the shots.

    Other impeachment attempts in the United States include John Tyler on January 10, 1843 who encountered an impeachment motion but a resolution failed to scale through. James Buchanan on June 16, 1860 faced his own heat, but the committee found nothing substantial to warrant his impeachment.

    However, it is worthy of note that impeachment under the US legal system is merely a formal indictment and not absolute removal from office as it applies in other countries including Nigeria where impeachment connotes dismissal from office.

    Furthermore, Richard Nixon in his own case on August 9, 1974 resigned before formal vote, whilst George W. Bush on June 11, 2008 also survived as though a resolution was referred to a committee but no further action taken. These records significantly attest that democracy is at work in the United States and above all, sovereignty indeed belongs to the people.

    Back to Trump’s saga, apart from party influence, Trump’s chances are quite slim. His move to reverse Same-sex marriage in the United States which his predecessor, Barack Obama signed into law amidst controversy believably boosted his legitimacy after his controversial win against Democrat’s candidate, Hilary Clinton, former US-Secretary of State. In fact, the attempts to achieve it through an Executive bill was perceived as a blunder which made political analysts reduce it to a mere propaganda.

    Arguably, President Trump’s leadership style may be said to be shambolic vis-à-vis the position of United States in the world space. Most of Trump’s speeches lack diplomacy, and unedifying which leave much to be desired from an occupant of US White House. For instance, Trump had some time ago contemptuously docketed African continent as shitholes.

    In another occasion, Trump referred his Nigerian counterpart, President Muhammadu Buhari as ‘lifeless’ on account of health challenges at that time. And many others. His delight in segregation is apparent and monumental. Unlike him, Clinton during his historic visit to Nigeria in 2000 passionately demanded to have a taste of rural life with downtrodden class which led to his presence at Ushafa Village on August 27, 2000 where he remarkably, cheerfully shook the hands of hundreds of poor villagers who were desperate to touch him. That’s exemplary leadership.

    In fact, the manner Trump unstintingly speaks may subject one to ponder if the White House truly have media aides attached to the President. Arguably, Trump lacks experience for administrative governance. I must add, the manner Trump disparages or belittles non-Americans is irksome. Without doubt, America is advanced than many countries but decorum is requisite.

    Another spiteful feature of Trump’s leadership is double-standard or divide-and-rule. Trump’s administration had in recent times spared a bigwig with presidential ambition allegedly linked to Halliburton case involving then Louisiana Representative, William J. Jefferson. Not long, it indicted another citizen of the same country, Allen Onyema; chairman of Air Peace over similar crimes and called for his extradition for prosecution. This is quite unlike United States where equality before the law has long been entrenched.

    No doubt, as an entrepreneur, Trump had fortunately recorded success in private businesses. Incidentally, ability to control private enterprises differs from that of public service which follows outlined procedures and strict guide by the constitution. Thus, managing private businesses differs from public administration where sundry intrigues and diplomacy must play out. Usually, private sector is characterized by monocracy with bosses operating domineeringly and highhandedly.

    This, therefore is a message for magnates that every now and then jump the queue to vie for the topmost office without any administrative or managerial experiences other than business profile alongside stout bank accounts. Trump in particular has a lot of works to do in this regard, and must necessarily learn from his errors as well as predecessors. Leadership positions may be procured or fortuitously acquired but attributes of leadership may not, as they come by intensive trainings.

    To summarize, America must expeditiously, conscientiously reposition its governance for prominence in the global sphere as developing countries look up to it for positive and progressive directions. By its long period of democracy; roughly three centuries, certain standards are necessarily indispensable. Nonetheless, as then US President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law in 1956, the watchword aptly remains, “In God we trust”.

    Umegboro is a public affairs analyst and Associate, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (United Kingdom). 08023184542 – SMS only. Https:carlumegboro.com