‘Please don’t say Buhari’s dinner with lawmakers was cancelled’ – Presidency

The Presidency has attempted to explain why President Muhammadu Buhari’s scheduled dinner with members of the National Assembly was hastily canceled on Wednesday.

PIC FROM LEFT: SPEAKER HOUSEOF REPRESENTATIVES, YAKUBU DOGARA; VICE-PRESIDENT YEMI OSINBAJO AND PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI ARRIVING FOR A PRESIDENTIAL DINNER FOR MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AT THE PRESIDENTIAL VILLA ABUJA ON WEDNESDAY (09/12/2015)

President Buhari was billed to break his Ramadan fast with the leadership National Assembly but it simply never happened.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, who rejected that the dinner was canceled, said it was postponed due to a clash of schedules as the lawmakers had other commitments slated for the same day.

Garba Shehu in a statement said, “Please don’t call it cancellation because nothing like that happened.”
“The President’s Iftar for the leadership of the National Assembly was postponed, to be rescheduled for another date.”

“This arose from the clash of schedules. You know the President spent the first 14 days of the fast out of the country. The schedule was put up hurriedly on his return to ensure that all interests are accommodated.”
“It turned out that the date fixed for the parliament could not be sustained due to prior commitments some of the invitees had. We are expecting that a new date will be appointed.”
Since returning to Nigeria from his medical trip, Buhari has been breaking his fast in a dinner with members of his government.
On Monday, he hosted security chiefs and gave the former Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase a farewell dinner.
Members of the Federal Executive Council led by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo were also hosted on Tuesday.

The president was supposed to feast with the National Assembly yesterday.
Against the excuse given by Garba Shehu, other reports suggest that the dinner was postponed because the Presidency got wind of the lawmakers’ resolve to shun the dinner.

The lawmakers are reportedly unhappy with the way the presidency is persecuting the leadership of the senate, Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu for forgery and corruption.

A source told Punch newspaper that, “When news filtered in that the lawmakers would not attend the event, the Presidency had no choice but to cancel it.”
“The Chief of Staff to the President was asked to issue a notice to that effect.”
“But in the notice, the COS only said the event had been rescheduled. The truth however is that it may not hold under the current situation.”

The president would host representatives of the judiciary today and receive leaders of the All Progressives Congress on Friday.