The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN has explained why President Muhammadu Buhari would not be appearing before the House of Representatives over rising insecurity in the country.
He said that security remained the exclusive preserve of the executive arm of government, noting that the National Assembly must take cognisance of that fact.
Malami spoke through a Wednesday statement.
The Femi Gbajabiamila-led House summoned the president last week.
The President was due to appear before the House on Thursday, and Gbajabiamila said the President pledged to honour the summon.
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However, reports began circulating on Tuesday that Buhari would shun the summon, with unconfirmed reports saying it was to avoid embarrassment.
Malami said, “The management and control of the security sector is exclusively vested in the President by Section 218 (1) of the Constitution as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces including the power to determine the operational use of the Armed Forces. An invitation that seeks to put the operational use of the Armed Forces to a public interrogation is indeed taking the constitutional rights of law-making beyond bounds.
“As the Commander-in-Chief, the President has exclusivity on security and has confidentiality over security. These powers and rights he does not share. So, by summoning the President on national security operational matters, the House of Representative operated outside constitutional bounds. President’s exclusivity of constitutional confidentiality investiture within the context of the constitution remains sacrosanct.”
Malami reiterated that it was at the president’s discretion to address the National Assembly.
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