Muhammadu Buhari held the first official meeting with the National Assembly leadership since scandalous Bukola Saraki’s emergence as the Senate president on June 9.
The Senate President met with Buhari at Aso Rock along with the Deputy Senate President, Senate Leader, Deputy Leader, Whip, Deputy Whip, Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip, as well as the same leaders of the House of the Reps.
President Muhammadu Buhari officially met with the NASS leadership delegation led by the Senate president Bukola Saraki. It was the first official meeting between Buhari and the leaders of the National Assembly since June 9 when Bukola Saraki was controversially elected as the Senate president against the will of the ruling APC party.
The meeting indicates possible reconciliation between Muhammadu Buhari and Bukola Saraki and the first step to the political resolution of the on-going NASS crisis. The NASS delegation consisted of 20 people including eight prominent PDP members occupying eight minority leadership positions in both houses of the NASS.
The main topics of discussion between Buhari and the leaders of the Senate and the House of representatives were the presidential candidates for ministerial positions in Buhari’s Cabinet which is yet to be formed. Buhari wants to get full support of the lawmakers to confirm the nominees from the ministerial list, sent to the Senate earlier by Muhammadu Buhari.
Besides that the NASS delegates discussed with Buhari future approval of the 2015 supplementary budget.
“You know since the leadership tussle that rocked the National Assembly, there has not been opportunity for the president and leaders of the National Assembly to formally familiarise,” told the press the source in the presidency, disclosing another reason for the meeting.
Earlier the House of Representatives speaker Yakubu Dogara was authorised by the House of reps resolution to meet with Buhari and find a political solution to the conflict between the President of Nigeria and the Senate president.
The emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as the President of the Senate and Yakubu Dogara as the Speaker of the House of Representatives three months ago was very unexpected for the APC ruling party and possibly influenced the ministerial list of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The trial of the Senate President Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) commenced on September 22 in Abuja.
The Senate on Tuesday, October 6, commenced the reading of persons in the ministerial list submitted to it by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Responding to questions from Naij.com after September 22 proceedings, the counsel to the federal government, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) said that if Saraki is found guilty by the court he can be banned from holding public office for ten years with assets he illegally acquired seized.
However, despite alleged feud between Buhari and Saraki over his emergence as the Senate president contrary to the will of the APC, President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara were all present at the 55th Independence Day Celebration was recently observed at the Presidential Villa.
A week ago The Senate president, Bukola Saraki has confirmed that he has received the ministerial list from President Muhammadu Buhari.
Confirming this on its Twitter handle, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) reported that Rotimi Amaechi, Fashola, Lai Mohammed, Chris Ngige, Abubakar Malami, Audu Ogbe and Danbazau are all in the ministerial list.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has said that the remaining names on President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees will surface ‘shortly’, as Nigerians remain expectant of the full list of the president’s kitchen cabinet.
