We didn’t apologise to Buhari for summoning him - House of Representatives

The house of representatives has denied report of apologizing to President Muhammadu Buhari for inviting him to brief lawmakers on the state of security in the country.

 

This came after it was reported that "some lawmakers who sponsored the motion because of Zabamari rice farmers massacre went through the back door to the presidency to apologise over their insistence that the president must appear before the national assembly."

 

In a statement released on Monday by the house of representatives spokesperson Benjamin Kalu, the lawmakers stated that the President or the Presidency as the case may be, never sought for an apology from the House of representatives for carrying out her constitutional responsibility to the Nigerian electorate. 

 

The statement read; 

 

“It has come to the knowledge of the house that few sections of the media reported that House apologized to the Presidency over the resolutions of the House which arose from the motion sponsored by members from Borno State, requesting for the invitation of the President to brief the nation on the state of insecurity in the country. 

“The President or the Presidency as the case may be, never sought for an apology from the House of representatives for carrying out her constitutional responsibility to the Nigerian electorate. Where then did the media get the report that the House as an institution apologized to anyone? Media professionals are advised to uphold the ethics of their profession.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the House never apologized to anyone for exercising her constitutional mandate and the 9th assembly of the House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila will not do anything to desecrate or destroy the critical institution of democracy – the Legislature. We strongly believe that President Muhammadu Buhari subscribes to these democratic ethos and ideals as well.”