The raging storm between the national assembly and the presidency is far from over as a meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the legislature was abruptly called off on Friday.
No reason was giving for the why the meeting did not hold but it is believed that it was the presidency that called off the meeting, the Punch newspaper is reporting.
Senate President Bukola Saraki, and the speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, were billed to lead a delegation of principal officers of both houses of the national assembly to the meeting scheduled to hold at 6 pm.
But the meeting was called off just before it started.
According to the Punch, majority leader of the house of representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, stated that the meeting was called off for purpose of “convenience.”
“The meeting was rescheduled to a future date. It was for reasons of convenience,” He said.
However, an unnamed source in the presidency told the Punch that the presidency had passed a message to the national assembly that the meeting should be rescheduled for Saturday.
“They were told earlier that the meeting was rescheduled. Many of the principal officers of the National Assembly actually did not bother to come to the Villa, having been notified that there would be no meeting any longer today (Friday)”, the source added.
The 2016 budget has been plagued by a series of controversies since it was submitted to the national assembly in February.
On Wednesday Buhari reportedly returned the budget to the national assembly over some changes made by the national assembly.
Source: The Punch
