The House of Representatives has denied tendering apology to President Muhammadu Buhari over its earlier summon that he appear before members and brief Nigerians on the current state of the nation’s security situation.
Some media reports over the weekend suggested that the House of Representatives backtracked on its earlier resolution over a motion sponsored by members from Borno State in the wake of massacre of scores of rice farmers in state by gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram, by tendering apology to the president over the invitation.
Decision over the motion turned plenary of the House rowdy, when Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila attempted to see that prayer for the summon was dropped.
Offering what the House termed as clarification on the rumoured apology however, its spokesman, Benjamin Kalu in a statement made available to journalists on Monday, said no such development took place.
“It has come to the knowledge of the House that few sections of the media reported that the House apologised to the Presidency over the resolution of the House which arose from the motion sponsored by members from Borno state, requesting for the invitation of the President to brief the nation on the state of insecurity in the country.
“The President or the Presidency as the case may be, never sought for an apology from the House of Representatives for carrying out her constitutional responsibility to the Nigerian electorate. Where then did the media get the report that the House as an institution apologized to anyone? Media professionals are advised to uphold the ethics of their profession.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the House never apologized to anyone for exercising her constitutional mandate and the 9th Assembly of the House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila will not do anything to desecrate or destroy the critical institution of democracy – the Legislature. We strongly believe that President Muhammadu Buhari subscribes to these democratic ethos and ideals as well,” Kalu said in the statement.
