Buhari begs Saraki, Dogara, NASS principal officers over cancelled dinner

President Muhammadu Buhari has apologised to the leadership of the National Assembly over the cancellation of the planned dinner for the lawmakers in the State House.

The President was to host the lawmakers to dinner at the new Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, by 8:30p.m. on Thursday.

Trouble was however said to have started when security operatives on duty at the Pilot Gate insisted that all the federal lawmakers must come down from the Coaster bus that conveyed them for security check.

This was said to have infuriated the National Assembly members who decided to turn back.

It was gathered that the lawmakers were told to come down from the bus one-by-one for security checking which they refused to accept on the basis that they were invited to the dinner by the President.

He, however, met behind closed doors at his official residence with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara with the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and some presidential aides in attendance.

Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, told State House correspondents on Thursday night that the President offered the apology after the closed-door meeting with the Senate President and the Speaker.

He said the President rescheduled the dinner with the lawmakers for October 31.

However, one of the aides to Saraki, who declined to be quoted, explained what transpired at the Aso Rock Villa’s gate.

The source said, “What happened was that they were all in a private bus. When they got to the gate, they were told that the bus could only convey Saraki and Dogara into the premises; that others should alight from the vehicle for security screening. But the other senators disagreed with the security men, insisting that they were there on the invitation of the President and the bus must covey all of them into the Villa.

“When the security operatives were asked about who issued the order, they said it was the CSO to the President. At that point, Saraki asked them to turn back; that if others would not be allowed in, he and Doraga would not go in.