The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has revealed the reasons President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressive Congress (APC) failed Nigerians during their first tenure in power.
According to Lawan, Buhari and APC were unable to deliver on their electoral promises because of the rift between the Executive and National Assembly.
Speaking further, the Senate President stated that the feud between the Bukola Saraki-led Senate and Buhari’s adminstration was a major reason why the President failed to deliver on the promises he made to Nigerians prior to the election in 2015.
Lawan added that the main reason Nigerians voted out the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 was because they believed in the Buhari’s agenda for the country. He, however noted that the APC couldn’t convince Nigerians that they made the right choice voting APC.
The Senate President disclosed this at the first Progressives Youth Conference 2021, on Monday night in Abuja.
In his words, “When we were voted in 2019 as leaders of the National Assembly, we were conscious of one thing, that our mandate that was given to us by Nigerians in 2015 had suffered disruption and dislocation.
“For four years (2015 to 2019), our government could not perform optimally because of the then crisis between the parliament – the National Assembly – and the Executive arm of government.
“So, APC had already lost four very important years. And, that was supposed to be the year that we should have convinced Nigerians that they took the right decision by voting out a PDP administration in 2015.”
Recall that the immediate past National Assembly-led by Saraki had a major rift with the Buhari’s administration which paralysed relationship between the Executive and Legislative arms.
Saraki, in 2018 dumped the ruling APC, for the PDP following the acrimonious relationship with Buhari and some chieftains of the APC.
Giving reasons for his decision, Saraki stated the decision to leave was imposed on him by “certain elements and forces within the APC who have ensured that the minimum conditions for peace, cooperation, inclusion and a general sense of belonging did not exist.”
According to him, the National Assembly was not constructively engaged or carried along in key policy decisions, particularly those that will eventually require legislative approval.
