Unlike lawmakers, judges dine with Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari hosted members of the judiciary to a dinner at the presidential villa in Abuja on Thursday.

The event comes a day after the failure of a similar one for members of the national assembly.

Though the presidency blamed the absence of lawmakers on clash of schedules, sources told TheCable that the legislators rejected the invitation to Aso Rock as a result of the charges against the leadership of the 8th senate.

Senate President Bukola Saraki, Ike Ekweremadu, his deputy, Salisu Maikasuwa, former clerk of the national assembly, and Benedict Efeturi, his deputy, are facing charges of alleged criminal conspiracy and forgery of the senate standing rule‎s, 2015.

The development is brewing a cold war between the legislative and executive arms of government.

On Wednesday, the senate halted the screening of ambassadorial nominees, asking Abubakar Malami, minister of justice, and Geoffrey Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs to appear before it, over alleged irregularities in the selection process of the envoys.

So far, it is only the lawmakers who have altered the dinning schedule of the president.

On Monday, Buhari hosted service chiefs, Tuesday, members of his cabinet, and Friday will be  the turn of chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).