Deputy senate president, Ovie Omo-Agege, has said there is no need for the senate to request the presence of president Muhammadu Buhari over escalating security challenges facing the country.
Agege who also serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, said that the framers of the Nigerian Constitution did not envisage a situation where one branch of National Assembly would summon the head of another arm of government to appear before it.
He made these assertions while answering questions from reporters after a meeting of its Committee at the National Assembly, Abuja.
He said, “I am a constitutionalist. I believe that we are operating a presidential system of government. I believe in the concept of the separation of power. We have three equal arms of government.
“The framers of our constitution did not envisage that one branch of an arm of government will be summoning the head of another co-equal arm of government to come and offer explanation on the floor.
“I think those of you who are familiar with the constitutional process, I don’t think you’ve ever heard that the US parliament had ever invited their president to appear before the House of Representatives or the United States (U.S.) Senate, unless for the purpose of budget or to give an address on the state of the nation.
“In any event, we also have the concept of executive privilege. The executive arm of government has the power to claim executive privilege at any time any of such invitation is extended.
“It is not envisaged by the framers of the Constitution that a day will come where the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who heads the executive arm, would be asked to come and testify in the House of Representatives or the Senate. I do not also support that. I don’t believe that the President should come.”