'I'm Sorry' - President Buhari Apologises To The Senate

Nigeria's President, Muhammadu Buhari has on Friday, July 1, tendered an unreserved apology to the Senate over statements by his Special Assistant on Prosecution, Okoi Obono- Oblo.

Okoi stated that, the Senate lacked the powers to summon Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami to explain why he dragged the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and two others to court over alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Order.

The President faulted the position of the the AGF, explaining that as an appointee of the presidency he was equally answerable to the Senate, just as he said that the statement ought not to have been made at all.

It would be recalled that the AGF, for the second time on Thursday, shunned the summon of Senate to explain why he dragged the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and two others to court over alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Order.

Buhari’s Special Assistant on Public Prosecution, Okoi Obono-Oblo and in the office of the AGF who appeared before the Senator David Umaru, APC Niger East led Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters had lampooned the Senate, saying that the red chambers lacked the powers to summon the Minister of Justice over a matter that was already in a competent court of law.

President Buhari spoke through his Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang. Addressing Journalists, barely twenty- four hours after the Presidential aide took a swipe at the Senate that the Presidency had no confidence on the Senate Committee on Judiciary,

Senator Enang said that there was no way the Attorney General of the federation and Minister of Justice will not respect the Senators because the lawmakers screened and cleared the ministers as ministerial nominees.