The Presidency said on Friday that President Muhammadu would not interfere in the process of emergence of the leadership of the 9th National Assembly which will come up in June.
The Presidency, which spoke through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, said that those who are interested in becoming presiding officers in the upcoming 9th Senate and the House of Representatives should not expect the President’s intervention.
Enang told parliamentary reporters on Friday that The President would maintain neutrality in the process
According to him, the President believes in the rule of law, hence he would allow each arm of government to perform its constitutional responsibility without interference on who and who occupies whatever position.
Some senators-elect on the platform of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) had on Thursday shortly after receiving certificates of return that the Presidency and the party should quickly set the direction for the emergence of the presiding officers of the 9th Assembly.
The lawmakers-elect spoke against the background of the crisis that engulfed the process of emergence of leaders of the outgoing 8th Assembly, leading to the defeat of the party’s preferred choices.
The incoming lawmakers also cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC leadership against working at cross-purposes to avoid another tussle that would alter the party’s zoning formula.
Enang, however, told newsmen in Abuja on Friday that the President will remain neutral and allow the elected lawmakers to carry out their constitutional responsibilities.
He said: “The principle of President Muhammadu Buhari is that each arm of government should function according to what the constitution says which is that every person in government should do the right thing.
“He (Buhari) will not go beyond what the constitution allows him and every arm of government should stick to its constitutional responsibilities.”
He also urged the current lawmakers to give priority to the certain critical legislation like the 2019 Appropriation bill, New Minimum Wage bill, the Medium Terms Expenditure Framework and the budget of the various government agencies.
He said: “The budget of the 64 different federal government owned agencies are still pending before the national parliament.
“Unless the budgets of the different agencies are considered and passed, we still have a lot to lose in terms of opportunities for employment in those ministries and some capital projects which would have increased government spending or the spending of the various agencies and parastatals.
“The executive is ready with all the system to come in and defend the budget. We have in advance, worked with the committee on appropriation to determine a time table for the defence of their budgets.
“We have informed all the ministers, heads of departments, agencies and the ministries to be on the alert so that immediately the bill is committed to the committee on appropriation, we will upon invitation, appear before them.”
