TheCable reports that Federal lawmakers have cancelled a dinner with President Muhammadu Buhari, probably as a result of the ongoing crisis in the national assembly. The development comes hours after the caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the red chamber announced withdrawal of its support for the president. The charge of criminal conspiracy and forgery brought against the leadership of the eight senate by the federal government is tearing the executive and the legislative arm of government apart.
Not long after Buhari returned to the country at the end of his 13 days stay in the United Kingdom, where he received medical attention for ear infection, the senate raised an alarm that the federal government was allegedly plotting to silence it and imprison Senate President Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu, his deputy.
In what seems to be a response to the action of the government, the senate, on Wednesday, suspended the screening of ambassadorial nominees, citing irregularities in the process of selecting them. A few hours later, a source informed TheCable, that the lawmakers had cancelled their scheduled dinner with the president.
Buhari hosted service chiefs to a dinner on Monday, members of his cabinet on Tuesday, and Wednesday was supposed to be the turn of members of the national assembly.
“Due to the crisis in national assembly, lawmakers have refused to honour the break-of-fast dinner with the president today,” the source said. They have just cancelled it. He met with ministers yesterday, today was suppose to be with the national assembly, tomorrow will be with judiciary while Friday will be with party chieftains, etc.”
However, another source told TheCable that the dinner was cancelled at the instance of the president.