In a dramatic turn of events, indications are rife that President Muhammadu Buhari has turned his back at the sitting of the Representatives initially scheduled for Thursday.
The sitting of the House of Representatives was scheduled following a resolution passed by the House of Representatives, inviting the President to give explanations on the worsening security situation in the country in the aftermath of the Zabarmari massacre where 43 rice farmers were slaughtered in one fell swoop.
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It was gathered that the Progressive Governors Forum, an umbrella body of the Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was able to prevail on the President not to appear before the House of Representatives led by Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila. Buhari had met the Governors Tuesday at the Aso Villa in Abuja.
After the meeting with the President, the APC Governors also raced to the House of Representatives to appeal to its leadership headed by Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila to halt the scheduled invitation extended to the President on Thursday.
The Senate has also distanced itself from the action of the House of Representatives.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru(Osun Central) told journalists in Abuja that the Senate has nothing whatsoever todo with the invitation of President Buhari by the House of Representatives.
” I am a spokesperson of the Nigerian Senate Senate. There is no resolution of the Nigerian Senate that the President should come and address it on the issue of national security.”
He added: ” I expect that every enquiry as to the summoning and coming of the president should be directed to the House of Representatives. We operate a bi-camera legislature. That’s why our rules and procedures are different and that is why we need concurrence from the two Houses on the passing of legislation.
On this matter, there has not been an issue of a joint resolution. What we have is resolution of the House of Representatives…As far as the Senate is concerned, we have not summoned the President and we don’t want to get ourselves involved in any controversy as to whether the president will appear or not.”
Senator Muhammed Monguno confirmed this development while speaking on TVC.
According to him, the President may have decided to alter the plan due to an alleged plot by the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) caucus to embarrass him in the House of Representatives.
It was gathered that the call for President Buhari’s impeachment among opposition lawmakers has been unsettling the Assembly leadership and the presidency.
The People’s Democratic Party caucus led by Hon. Kingsley Chinda from Rivers State had on Monday asked Nigerians to mount pressure on their representatives at the constituency level to commence impeachment processes against the president.
The lawmaker hinged his argument on the failure by the President to protect lives and property in the country as insecurity reaches its crescendo nationwide.
On Tuesday, the PDP lawmakers were reported to have met behind closed door to perfect actions and schemings ahead of the scheduled president’s appearance at the joint session of the Assembly, Thursday.
While their meeting was on, it was also reported that some Progressive Governors met with the House Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, stating reasons to them why the meeting should not proceed as planned.
However, Gbajabiamila’s House of Representatives from where the invitation to the President originates from was said to be protesting the plea to halt Buhari’s appearance before members of the House of Representatives Thursday.
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