Following the continued conflict between the Nigerian Senate and the presidency, the leadership of the upper house of legislature has given conditions for an end to the rift.
Daily Trust quotes an unnamed lawmaker close to the senate leadership as saying that there are 5 things the Presidency need to do for peace to reign between the two arms of government.
The conditions includes:
1. Respect for Senate by Buhari’s cabinet members
He said: “If a resolution is passed, the executive doesn’t respect it, there is general contempt against us. This must stop.”
2. Improved communication with party
“The president must be talking to the party for it to be talking to caucus. If the president is bringing anything to the senate, the party should be involved,” he said.
3. Direct line of communication between Buhari and Senate
“The fifth one is that there is no personal communication between the senators and the president. There is need for this,” he said.
4. Stop Saraki’s trial
He said: “The trial of Saraki is central to the crisis because it is believed that they came up with it because he ‘violated’ the interest of the presidency and the party (APC) to emerge the senate president. If his trial is stopped, there would be peace.”
5. End of Cabal in Presidency
“A camp in the presidency is using the senate against another. This is the second issue that must be addressed for peace to reign. Buhari should dissolve the camp, otherwise no serious progress would be made,” he added.
Daily Trust however reports that the Senate said it officially was not aware of these conditions.
Senate spokesperson of the senate Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said: “You are just telling me now. I’m not aware of such committee and I don’t know its terms of reference.”
Gathered that this comes just as President Buhari took a big step towards ending the constant disagreements between the Presidency and the National Assembly.
The president, on Wednesday, March 29, set up a committee to end the conflict between the two arms of government.
