Saraki calls emergency meeting of National Assembly leaders

The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has convened a meeting of the leaderships of the two chambers of the National Assembly, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

The meeting, expected to have in attendance principal officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives, is scheduled to hold Tuesday afternoon.

A source who confirmed the meeting to this newspaper said the meeting would touch on pressing national issues seeking the urgent attention of the National Assembly.

The officials are expected to meet for one hour beginning at noon.

The source added that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, will then meet with the lawmakers at 1 p.m.

Issues expected to be on the agenda of the meeting include the string of defections in the political space, the rumoured plan to impeach Mr. Saraki and the pending 2019 elections supplementary budget, among others.

The leadership, our sources said, might consider the possibility of reconvening the National Assembly to discuss urgent and important national issues pending before the lawmakers.

Some APC senators, including Ali Ndume and Ahmed Lawal, have insisted that the long adjournment of the National Assembly by Mr. Saraki was not in the best interest of the country.

A media aide to Mr Saraki, Yusuph Olaniyonu, confirmed his principal is planning a meeting but declined to provide details.

The Senate and the House of Representatives proceeded on annual recess on July 24 to reconvene on September 25.