The leadership of the House of Representatives have reportedly tendered an apology to President Muhammadu Buhari for summoning him to appear at the Lower Legislative Chambers.
The New Diplomat’s checks also reveal that the House leadership under the headship of its speaker, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila and members of the House have already initiated steps to withdraw the motion summoning Buhari to appear at the House of Representatives over worsening security challenges.
Checks further revealed that the decision to apologize to the President followed realization on the part of the House of Reps that it was “technically and legally wrong for the House to have summoned the President as it lacked powers to do so.”
Recall that the House of Representatives had, following a motion moved by Hon. Satomi Ahmad, representing Jere Federal Constituency, along with nine others from Borno state, summoned President Buhari to appear before the House.
It would be recalled also that the House resolution summoning Buhari was passed and adopted premised on the reported killing of about 47 farmers in Borno State, North East Nigeria.
Recall also that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Gbajabiamila, had subsequently informed Nigerians that Buhari had consented to honouring the summon by the lawmakers.
However, things dramatically changed following queries as to the legality and constitutionality of the House action. Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, SAN and many Senators opposed the decision of the House to summon the president stressing that it was both unconstitutional and without precedent.
The New Diplomat’s checks reveal that some political players allegedly sought to capitalize on the summon to also make political issues or statements, a move which prompted some highly political figures to dissuade Buhari from showing up at teh House.
It would be recalled that Hon Benjamin Kalu, spokesperson for the House, had affirmed that the House acted within its constitutional role in inviting President Buhari, stressing that the action was not meant to ridicule the president over security challenges.
According to him, the invitation from the House was to enable the President engage with House members on security challenges facing the country.
He said the idea of the invitation was to have a feedback mechanism on the security situation in the country insisting that the House of Representatives did the right thing in summoning the President.
President Buhari later shunned the invitation after he was advised by some concerned political players within the APC.
However, Lagos- based radical lawyer and activist, M Femi Falana, SAN said the lawmakers have the constitutional power to summon a sitting president to appear before them, and that they were right in summoning Buhari.
