National Assembly to reconvene next week — Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun, says the National Assembly will reconvene Tuesday next week to consider matters of public interest.

Mr. Lasun made this announcement on Thursday shortly after a meeting of the All Progressives Congress caucus in the National Assembly.

“First, let me make one thing very clear that we are on a lawful break. We didn’t just adjourn in order to run away from our duties, but went on recess at the time we normally have our annual recess.

“But based on the president’s request and the meeting we held with INEC Chairman on Wednesday, we are convinced on the need to reconvene and address them,” he said.

Issues expected to be considered are supplementary budget, as well as approval of funds for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to enable it prepare for the elections.

Rising from the meeting that lasted for about three hours, the Caucus called for urgent and thorough investigation of the invasion of the parliament by armed men from the State Security Services (SSS) on Tuesday.

Mr Lasun frowned at the formation of various groups within the APC caucus.

Apparently referring to the Abdulmumin Jibrin-led Parliamentary Support Group, a pro-Buhari group in the House, he insisted that “nobody, no matter the group he/she belongs to can say that they like and support President Buhari more that the APC Caucus”, adding that “the Caucus remains one united body.

The deputy speaker said President Buhari will run for re-election as a consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“Before he emerged in 2015, I was already campaigning for Buhari in 2014, and the party’s national leadership and all its organs had agreed in principle that the President will be our consensus candidate in 2019.

“Mark my words, I said this on principle. And when the time for primaries reaches for candidates to be elected, we are all going to adopt President Buhari as a consensus candidate of the APC, so let nobody come to deceive anyone that they love the President or Nigeria more than some of us,” he said.

Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, did not attend the meeting.