Nigeria’s House of Representatives has shelved its summon for President Muhammadu Buhari to appear and explain his handling of Nigeria’s security situation.
The House Chief Whip, Mohammed Monguno, said the president would no longer honour the summon because the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers plan to embarrass him during the outing.
Munguno told TVC news that because of the plot by the opposition to embarrass him, the president changed his mind.
Indications that Buhari may no longer appear before the members of the House of Representatives started unfolding on December 8 when governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) advised him to ignore the lawmakers invitation.
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, also added that the lawmakers lack the constitutional powers to summon the president.
The lawmakers had passed a resolution which mandates the president to appear before them to answer questions on his handling of the Boko Haram insurgency.
He was scheduled to appear before them on December 10. But with the legal advisory of the AGF, plus the House of Reps shelving the summon, it is now unlikely that the president will honour the request.
The Malami statement reads: “National Assembly has 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.”