The presidency reacted to reports that Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, said acting president,
Yemi Osinbajo, was on his own regarding
the statement he made in April that the
senate does not have to screen all political
appointees made by the Executive. The
presidency says these reports are false as
Malami never said Osinbajo was on his own.
Attorney General of the Federation and
Chief Justice of the Federation, Abubakar
Malami, added that the position of acting
president Yemi Osinbajo on the Senate’s
rejection of acting EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim
Magu, is a personal one and not that of the
Federal government. Tuesday, the senate
asked acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, to
withdraw a statement he made against
them in April concerning the rejection of
Magu’s nomination. While speaking with
some journalists in Abuja, Osinbajo
said based on Section 171 of the
Constitution, the executive doesn’t require
legislative approval for the confirmation of
some political appointments., some
appointments do not require the screening
and confirmation by the Legislatures. This
however did not go down well with the
senators as they called on him to withdraw
this statement.
Speaking to state House correspondents
after the Federal Executive Council meeting
Wenesday, AGF Malami said FEC did not
deliberate on the brewing crisis between
Osinbajo and the Senate because the
statement acting president made was on a
personal note and was not a decision taken
at the Federal Executive Council meeting.
“The fundamental consideration
about the alleged statement is the
fact that at no point ever did the
Federal Executive Council sit down
to arrive at the decision in one-way
or the other as far as the issue
of nomination or otherwise is
concerned. So, I do not think it
constitutes an issue for the Federal
Executive Council to make any
clarification about because it has
never been considered by the FEC” he
said.
Also commenting on the issue, Senior
Special Assistant to President Buhari on
Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said
Osinbajo’s comment was done one a
personal note.
Speaking to Premium Times, Garba said:
“A senior lawyer in the country
offered an opinion, in which he said
some categories of public officers
traditionally cleared by the National
Assembly need not to go through
that process, that those ones can be
appointed by the Presidential fiat;
they don’t have to go through
screening. But several months ago, in
his position as Vice President,
Professor Osinbajo gave a personal
opinion saying what this lawyer said
makes sense.
There is no official position by the
government of Nigeria, and the
Federal Executive Council never sat
down to take a decision to say that
some categories of officials will not
be sent to the National Assembly any
longer or that the authority of the
Senate under the constitution to
screen and pass nominees has never
been questioned by the government
or the Federal Executive Council. From
the time the Vice President gave that
opinion to now, more than 20
nominations have been forwarded to
the Senate and quite a number of
them have been screened, sworn-in
and are now occupying positions so
therefore; this is not a big issue as
some people want to make it. The
party, government and the National
Assembly will sit on a round table and
this matter will be discussed and
resolved. I assure you” he said.
