President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday afternoon cancelled the traditional breaking of Ramadan fast which he would have had with the leadership of the National Assembly.

The development, The PUNCH learnt, was necessitated by the current face-off between the Executive and the Legislature over the forgery case instituted against the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, by the Federal Government.

But the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said in a statement that the event was postponed because the lawmakers had prior commitments scheduled for the same day.


The presidential spokesman said, “Please don’t call it cancellation because nothing like that happened.

“The President’s Iftar for the leadership of the National Assembly was postponed, to be rescheduled for another date.

“This arose from the clash of schedules. You know the President spent the first 14 days of the fast out of the country. The schedule was put up hurriedly on his return to ensure that all interests are accommodated.

“It turned out that the date fixed for the parliament could not be sustained due to prior commitments some of the invitees had. We are expecting that a new date will be appointed.”

Since Buhari returned to Nigeria on Sunday after his medical trip to London, he had been meeting some top government officials to break the Ramadan fast.

On Monday, the President hosted security chiefs and also used the event to host the former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to a farewell dinner.

The President also on Tuesday hosted members of the Federal Executive Council led by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

He was scheduled to host the leaders of the National Assembly on Wednesday before the sudden cancellation.

The PUNCH learnt that the event was hurriedly put off to avoid a situation where the President would be embarrassed.

A source told one of our correspondents that the dinner was put off when news filtered in that the lawmakers would boycott it to protest the Executive’s alleged interference in their affairs.

The source said, “When news filtered in that the lawmakers would not attend the event, the Presidency had no choice but to cancel it.

“The Chief of Staff to the President was asked to issue a notice to that effect.

“But in the notice, the COS only said the event had been rescheduled. The truth however is that it may not hold under the current situation.”

In continuation of the traditional breaking of fast, however, the President had been scheduled to host representatives of the judiciary on Thursday and receive some leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress on Friday.

But the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said in a statement that the event was postponed because the lawmakers had prior commitments scheduled for the same day.

So, all the lawmakers suddenly scheduled appointments on the same day?

Gaddamit, this Garba didn't start lying today

[/quote]Federal lawmakers have cancelled a dinner with President Muhammadu Buhari, probably as a result of the ongoing crisis in the national assembly.

The development comes hours after the caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the red chamber announced withdrawal of its support for the president.

The charge of criminal conspiracy and forgery brought against the leadership of the eight senate by the federal government is tearing the executive and the legislative arm of government apart.

Not long after Buhari returned to the country at the end of his 13 days stay in the United Kingdom, where he received medical attention for ear infection, the senate raised an alarm that the federal government was allegedly plotting to silence it and imprison Senate President Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu, his deputy.

In what seems to be a response to the action of the government, the senate, on Wednesday, suspended the screening of ambassadorial nominees, citing irregularities in the process of selecting them.

A few hours later, a source informed TheCable, that the lawmakers had cancelled their scheduled dinner with the president.

Buhari hosted service chiefs to a dinner on Monday, members of his cabinet on Tuesday, and Wednesday was supposed to be the turn of members of the national assembly.

“Due to the crisis in national assembly, lawmakers have refused to honour the break-of-fast dinner with the president today,” the source said.

“They have just cancelled it. He met with ministers yesterday, today was suppose to be with the national assembly, tomorrow will be with judiciary while Friday will be with party chieftains, etc.”

However, another source told TheCable that the dinner was cancelled at the instance of the president.[quote]