Politics
Buhari shelves plan to address NASS on security
- Reps step down motion to admit President
- Lawmakers can’t summon him – Malami
Indication emerged on Wednesday that President Muhammadu Buhari has shelved his plan to address the joint sitting of the National Assembly on Thursday on the security situation in the country.
This came as the conventional legislative practice, ‘Admittance into the Chamber’ motion, slated on the Order Paper, which should have been sponsored by Hon Garba Alhassan Ado to suspend relevant House rules, was not entertained by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The motion provides that “that the House, pursuant to Order 19, Rule 8 (1) and (2) of the Standing Orders, do admit into the Chambers, the ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the service chiefs and other dignitaries for the purpose of receiving an address by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the security situation in the country.”
Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, on Wednesday said that the National Assembly lacked the constitutional power to summon President Buhari over security matters.
The President’s change of mind, it was learnt, might not be unconnected with an alleged plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus to embarrass him.
The resolution for Buhari not to attend the forum was reportedly reached at a meeting held on Tuesday night which lasted into the midnight at the Conference Room 028 New Building of the House of Representatives.
Some of the governors seen at the meeting are Aminu Masari of Katsina State and Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, as well as the former FCT Minister of State, Senator James Udoedehe.
One of the principal officers in the House of Representatives, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the decision was to avoid any form of embarrassment from the members of the opposition party, PDP.
Malami, in a statement, argued that the issue of security is confidential and how the president handles it should not be for public exposure.
“The confidentiality of strategies employed by the President as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not open for public exposure in view of security implications in probable undermining of the war against terror”, he said.
He argued that Buhari had recorded tremendous success in containing the hitherto incessant bombings, colossal killings, wanton destruction of lives and property that bedeviled the country before attaining the helm of affairs of the country in 2015.
According to him national security is not about publicity and the nation’s security architecture cannot be exposed for the sake of getting publicity.
While stating that the President enjoys Constitutional privileges attached to the Office of the President including exclusivity and confidentiality investiture in security operational matters, which remains sacrosanct, he added that the National Assembly had no Constitutional Power to envisage or contemplate a situation where the President would be summoned by the National Assembly on operational use of the Armed Forces.
“The right of the President to engage the National Assembly and appear before it is inherently discretionary in the President and not at the behest of the National Assembly,” the statement added.
But immediate past Chairman, House Committee on Ethics and Privileges, Hon Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, said there was no justification for the President’s decision to turn down the invitation to brief Nigerians on the state of security.
“It was the House of Representatives of Nigeria that invited the President of Nigeria. It was not a summon; it was an invitation to bring us up to speed on the security matter in Nigeria, now that security is now topical and almost urgent.
“If he thinks to look at it legally, he may say you cannot summon because you can’t discipline. But one thing to look at is the security importance. He’s the commander in chief of all armed forces and the invitation is to tell us if there is any trouble in the security architecture so that we will know exactly what is the issue is.”
He also spoke on the reported role played by the governors to prevail on the President from honouring the House invitation.
He said, “We heard that the governors prevailed on him not to come, and it is very easy to understand why the governors said so because if he honours the invitation, the state assemblies will ask the governors to come, which is the proper thing. But because the relationship is master-servant; most parliaments in Nigeria run master-servant relationship; in that context, how can a servant order his master to come to render account?
“And if you are a governor, you owe the governed the duty to explain.”
Politics
Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election
Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that he does not know if he will contest the presidency in 2027.
Atiku made the remark in a yet-to-be-aired interview for a television show, Untold Stories, with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, scheduled for broadcast today but exclusively obtained by Daily Trust.
The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently announced the formation of a coalition of opposition leaders to wrest power from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
However, there has been widespread speculation about who will lead the coalition and emerge as its presidential candidate, with former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, being considered among its key figures.
When asked if he would be running for the presidency in 2027, Atiku said: “I don’t know because there has to be, first of all, a viable platform, more than any other time in the political history of this country, particularly since the return of democracy.”
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Atiku, who has run for the presidency a record six times, did not rule out the possibility of contesting again in 2027.
“I have not seen Nigeria in dire need of, you know, an experienced and credible leadership than this time.
“We had a similar, you know, what would I say, merger in 2014. About four of us or is it three? We all ran for president and one of us emerged, and we all supported the one who emerged, and he won,” he said.
He agreed with former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s assertion that Nigeria’s democracy is deteriorating, saying the situation is “very dire.”
“No doubt about that,” he said.
Atiku also expressed his disappointment with the country’s political leadership.
“The next generation after me, many of them had been governors, had been senators. Instead of me to see an improvement in the level of governance at the state level and so on and so forth, I don’t see it. So I feel a little bit distressed.”
Atiku also questioned the credibility of the current legislative leadership, especially as it relates to the National Assembly’s ratification of the state of emergency in Rivers State
“I am not surprised,” he said, alleging that they are corrupt.
Atiku says he’s not sure about contesting 2027 presidential election
Politics
Africa’s democracy is govt by small for small number of people – Obasanjo
Africa’s democracy is govt by small for small number of people – Obasanjo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has advanced reasons for what he called abysmal failure of democracy in Africa.
According to him, African presidents work with a clique and wield enormous powers with little or no resistance from perpetuating illegalities and abuse of office.
The ex-President said the democracy being practised in Africa does not aligned with the people’s values, culture, and way of life.
Obasanjo said spoke on Monday at a colloquium in Abuja to mark the 60th birthday of Emeka Ihedioha, a former governor of Imo State.
The former Nigerian leader, who chaired the event, referencing Abraham Lincoln’s definition of democracy as “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” said the system should work for all citizens rather than a privileged few.
He however wondered if African countries are practising true democracy or only adopting Western Liberal democracy.
He said, “If you are talking about democracy failing in Africa, democracy in Africa has failed. And why has it failed?
“Because in context and in content, it is not Africa. It does not have any aspect of our culture, our way of life, what we stand for, what we believe.
“Today, we have democracy, which is the government of a small number of people, by a small number of people over a large number of people who are deprived of what they need to have in life. That is not democracy that will endure.
“It is ‘I am because I can grab.’ What sort of democracy brings you, and you grab everything and then illegally, corruptly, and you say go to court? When you know that even in the court, you cannot get justice.
“It’s not that democracy is failing, democracy is dying and if we are going to make democracy not to die, we have to look at democracy in the context and in the content of Africa. I hope that we will get to that stage so that democracy which will deliver will be the democracy that we will have in Africa.”
Obasanjo was Nigeria’s military ruler from 1976 to 1979 and democratically elected president from 1999 to 2007.
Politics
Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai’s coalition can’t unseat Tinubu – Shekarau
Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai’s coalition can’t unseat Tinubu – Shekarau
Former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, has cast doubt on the ability of a newly formed opposition coalition to unseat President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.
Shekarau described the alliance, which includes former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, as a gathering of individuals with personal political ambitions rather than a structured and unified opposition front.
His remarks came just two days after the coalition’s formation was announced, with the stated goal of challenging Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement by his spokesperson, Dr. Sule Yau, Shekarau remarked, “This is just a gathering of certain individuals with political ambitions; none of them has officially consulted their party leadership.”
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He further argued that a coalition featuring prominent figures does not necessarily equate to an effective political alliance.
“The coalition of opposition figures is a good development, as seen in their recent meeting under what they call an opposition alliance. However, none of the key figures involved represents their party leadership,” Shekarau stated.
Emphasizing the legal framework for political mergers, he pointed out that only registered parties could formally unite, making the recent gathering an informal arrangement rather than an officially recognized coalition.
Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai’s coalition can’t unseat Tinubu – Shekarau
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