Pro-President Lawmakers Oppose National Assembly Resolutions On Buhari

Pro-President Lawmakers Oppose National Assembly Resolutions On Buhari

The Parliamentary Support Group, a group of senators and members of the House of Representatives loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari, has distanced itself from Tuesday’s resolution of the National Assembly.

After a joint closed door session, the National Assembly on Tuesday charged Mr Buhari to take responsibility for actions of his appointees, desist from being selective in his anti-corruption war among other resolutions.

The Chairman of the National Assembly, Bukola Saraki, who read the resolutions added that the legislature will exercise its constitutional power if Mr Buhari fails to act.

The resolutions, however, did not go down well with members of the support group.

In a statement Tuesday evening, the group said most people who spoke at the session were members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). It claimed members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) tactically avoided airing their views. However both chambers of the National Assembly are led by APC lawmakers (Mr Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara).

Earlier, another APC lawmaker, Muhammed Kazaure, had also opposed the resolution threatening Mr Buhari.

The PSG statement was signed by Abdulmumin Jibrin, a known member of the group. Other members of the group include senators Abdullahi Adamu and Ovie Omo-Agege. It is not clear if Mr Jibrin got the permission of all members of the group to release the statement.

The group alleged that the questions, submissions and resolutions of the joint session were pre-determined by anti-Buhari lawmakers.

Read the full statement below:

The Parliamentary Support Group of the Senate and House of Representatives is aware of the joint Executive session of the National Assembly held today and wish to state as follows:

That almost all the members and senators that spoke at the Executive session are of the PDP while members of the APC declined joining the discussion to avoid a rowdy confrontation as the entire session could easily pass for a PDP Executive session

That it is commendable that the Speaker tactically refused to make any comment at the session even after the Senate President took time to explain the issues which are mostly personal

That it is disturbing and raised many questions of pre determined intentions that a known ally of the Senate President from Kwara State Hon Rasak Atunwa drafted what was adopted as the resolution and without voting against standard parliamentary practice

That most of the issues raised concerning the fight against corruption, insecurity and the rule of law has been severally discussed in the Senate and the House and various resolutions passed

That we commend the efforts of Mr President in the fight against corruption, tackling of the insecurity challenges and respect for rule of law and democratic institutions. Mr President is known for his non interference policy.

That every Senator or Member of House who has corruption or criminal allegation against him or her should clear his or her name without dragging the entire institution of the National Assembly into the matter

That the National Assembly should as well look in ward and address the issue of suffocating Senators and members with dissenting or contrary opinion through coercion or extra legal means

That the PDP should recall how it members in the 7th Assembly sat comfortably in the chamber and watched a sitting Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal locked out of the National Assembly and all his security personnels withdrawn while APC members had to scale the fence to gain entrance into the National Assembly

That we must exercise caution at this delicate period not to over heat the polity with statements that are capable of dividing the country, embarrassing us before the watching world and creating friction between the legislature, Executive and specifically Mr President.

We wish to reaffirm our support to Mr President as he works assiduously towards dealing with the challenges of our country

Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin

For Parliamentary Support Group

Senate and House of Representatives