President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday tapped Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to head the Executive/Legislative/Party Consultative Committee at the State House in Abuja.
President Buhari set up the consultative committee to help fine-tune the relationship between the executive, legislature and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It would be recalled that there have been months of hot exchanges between both arms of government and that leaders of both tiers met before the inauguration of the committee.
Speaking at a consultative meeting among the executive, legislative and the party leadership at the Presidential Villa, he said the situation had cost the governing party governorship and legislative seats during elections.
He also regretted that despite the dominance of the All Progressive Congress (APC) at all levels of government, the party is embroiled in bitter and unnecessary squabbles.
The President said the meeting and the Committee was therefore called to avert the occurrences in future.
“Let me welcome all of you to this first Consultative Committee of the APC, our members of the National Assembly and the Executive.
“Our party commands a clear majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Vice-President, the distinguished Senate President, the Right Honourable Speaker and I all belong to APC and the working relationships between the Executive and the Legislative have been excellent so far. Our joint responsibility is to keep things that way and see where we can improve our communication and coordination.
“But we must admit to ourselves that our party has been too often embroiled in bitter and on occasions, totally unnecessary squabbles costing us seats in legislative and gubernatorial elections. These never should have happened. We are here to make sure such occurrences do not happen again. We must now ensure regular consultations between the party and the Governments.’’
The President urged members of the committee to further align objectives of the party and be alive to electoral promises, reminding party members of the need to always move the country forward.
“I am a firm believer in the doctrine of the Separation of Powers, which is fundamental to our constitutional democracy. But our practice should be harmonious checks and balances devoid of bitterness and petty rivalry,’’ he added.
Members of the Executive/Legislative/Party Consultative Committee are Senator Ahmed Lawan (Senate President); Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (Speaker of House of Representatives); Senator Ovie Omo-Agege (Deputy Senate President); Hon. Ahmed Wase (Deputy Speaker); Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State (Chairman, APC Caretaker Committee).
Other members are Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (Senate Majority Leader); Hon. Alhassan Doguwa (House Majority Leader); Attorney General of Federation, Abubakar Malami; Boss Mustapha (Secretary to the Government of the Federation); Prof. Ibrahim Gambari (Chief of Staff to the President) and Senator Akpan Udoedehe (Secretary, APC Caretaker Committee).
