Buhari may appear before parliament on Dec 10

Benjamin Kalu, the spokesman of the house of representatives, says President Muhammadu Buhari may appear before the lawmakers on December 10 or 15, to explain the federal government’s efforts to address security challenges across the country.

Speaking with reporters in Abuja on Thursday, Kalu said no president in the history of the country has appeared before the federal lawmakers to answer questions on any issue.

On Tuesday, the lawmakers in Nigeria’s House of Representatives summoned the president over the killing of more than 40 farmers while working on a rice field in Borno state by Boko Haram.

A rowdy session ensued before the lawmakers agreed to invite Buhari.

The house spokesman said nobody would “intimidate” the president when he appears before them.

The lawmaker also explained that Buhari would not be able to appear before the house on December 8, because of the national executive committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“So, we are looking at December 10 or December 15. The president has broken the jinx by promising that he would appear before the house,” he said.

“In the history of Nigeria, no president has done that. The president is going to sit with us and we will have some time to engage him. Nobody is going to intimidate him; it will be like a discussion.

“We are happy with the leadership of the house. No victory is achieved in an atmosphere of rancor and bickering. This joint partnership with the executive will be in the interest of the country.”

According to him, the invitation to the president to appear before the house was not to ridicule him.

“We are one family from one country,” he said.

On Wednesday, Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house, said the president has agreed to appear before the house.

The lawmakers are expected to ask the president about his service chiefs and why he is choosing to keep them despite the continued security challenges in the country.