Presidency: House Leadership Told Buhari to Ignore Summon over Insecurity

Adedayo Akinwale and Udora Orizu in Abuja

Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Hon. Umar El-Yakub has said it was the leadership of the House that told President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore its summon during one of its debates on the protracted security crisis in the country.

The House had summoned Buhari over the killing of 43 rice farmers in Zabarmari community in Borno State sometime ago.

After the summon, the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who met with the President, said the president had agreed to address the National Assembly.

The following day after the assurance given by Gbajabiamila, the House Spokesperson, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, also disclosed that Buhari might appear before the lawmakers on Thursday, December 10, 2020.

However, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said the National Assembly did not have the power to summon the president, but the House insisted that the invitation extended to the President was not aimed at ridiculing him over security matters, adding that the president was rather invited for engagement with the House on ways to address security challenges in the country.

Addressing journalists on Thursday in Abuja, El-Yakub revealed that the leadership of the House changed its mind over the President’s summon.

His words: “On the first part of your question, let me just say that indeed this President has respect for separation of powers as enshrined in the constitution. And, of course, I just made a point to the fact that the President had to give directives that his ministers and MDAs must honour invitations of the National Assembly, not only in budget defense but in all cases.

“The invitation you are referring to, of course, the President respects their rights to that invitation and certainly there was a change of thinking by the leadership, otherwise, the President would have been there for the briefing, which is, I’m sure you remember the service Chiefs were invited and they came to the National Assembly, because they felt that before they invite the President, they needed to have a broader explanation and in the event that the National Assembly felt it’s very important to invite the President, I’m sure he will honour the invitation, because he has respect for them.”

El-Yakub said within the last session, when the National Assembly went on annual recess, 15 bills were signed into law by the President, stressing that other bills too were transmitted,which he described as commendable.

He posited that the achievement was as a result of the harmonious relationship between the executive and the legislature.