The Deputy Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Toby Okechukwu, has described the position of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami on the lawmakers’ invitation to President Muhammadu Buhari over security challenges in the country as strange
Malami, who is also the Minister of Justice has on Wednesday claimed that the National Assembly acted beyond its powers in summoning the President.
He said that the President, being the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces had exclusivity on security matters and cannot be summoned by the lawmakers to brief them on security matters.
He said the lawmakers acted “outside constitutional bounds.”
Reacting to the minister’s statement, however, Okechukwu noted that the AGF was only airing the position of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and not the law.
He stated that Malami’s, position was “strange”, adding that the invitation was a prudent effort on the part of the legislature to find a lasting solution to worsening insecurity.
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According to him, the President’s willingness to appear was evident in his interaction with the Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.
He said: “Without making undue efforts to win an argument, Section 89 (1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended clearly empowers the Senate or the House of Representatives or a committee appointed in accordance with Section 62 of the Constitution to procure evidence, written or oral, and to ‘summon any person in Nigeria to give evidence at any place.
“Therefore, the attempt to pressurise Mr. President not to appear clearly shows that some highly placed political actors in the ruling party are placing politics over the protection of lives of Nigerians. The APC is evidently fiddling with propaganda and politics while Nigeria burns.
“It is evident from APC’s position as made public by the AGF that the safety of Nigerian citizens would take a back sit in the next few days, while the argument over who is right or wrong unfortunately takes the front seat.”
Okechukwu called on President Buhari to rise above the legalese and political fray to show leadership to rally the Nigerian people and their parliament to find lasting solutions to the growing insecurity in the country.
