Buhari’s aide: Why national assembly has cordial relationship with executive

Umar el-Yakub, senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on the house of representatives, says the lower and upper legislative chambers work in harmony with the executive to deliver good governance to Nigerians.

The presidency has often said the rift between the national assembly led by Bukola Saraki and the Buhari administration prevented it from performing as it should between 2015 and 2019.

Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, the former speaker of the house of representatives, defied the All Progressives Congress (APC) to emerge as leaders of the lower and upper legislative chambers.

The party had backed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila for the positions in the build-up to the 2015 polls.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, el-Yakub said the country has witnessed legislative-executive progress because of the collaboration.

“As we know, the ninth assembly had a resolve with the executive arm under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari to work in a cooperative and collaborative manner so as to ensure the delivery of good services and governance for the Nigerian people,” he said.

“We have achieved such a milestone in this partnership and relationship culminating in so many programmes and initiatives of government and policies that have been actualised.

“I make bold to mention and commend the leadership of the national assembly for returning the budget circle of January to December. That was achieved primarily because of this cooperation between the executive and the legislative arm of government and for the benefit of Nigerians because now we have a budget that had been implemented fully in 2020 and we are hoping to have the same in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

“We know the benefit of a budget that is being implemented on time because the impact it has on our economic and social wellbeing as Nigerians.

“The relationship is being anchored on the respect for the separation of powers between the executive and the legislature as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution which of course also understands that there is one government but essentially the various arms of government work in creative, corporative and collaborative manner to ensure that there is constructive and meaningful engagement to deliver services to the Nigerian people and to participate in nation-building as partners and that has been demonstrated in many areas of our national life.

“Of course, like I mentioned earlier, having such a good relationship further reinforces the confidence of the electorates and the Nigerian people in their government because there is synergy, there is cooperation, there is respect and there is understanding of coming together for a common purpose to achieving the desired goals.

“We have seen in the way nominees of Mr president have been cleared by the two chambers of the national assembly, especially the service chiefs which also the house participated in their screening and clearance.

“The relationship has been very cordial between the house of representatives and the executive arm of government and it has been harmonious and certainly very collaborative and this has been possible because of the corporation between the two arms of government in terms of engagement.

The presidential aide said the national assembly and the executive will continue to deepen and sustain the relationship for the benefit of Nigerians.