Buhari urges N/Assembly to strengthen democracy

President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the National Assembly to sustain programmes aimed at strengthening the country’s democracy and enthroning best practices. The president gave the charge on Monday in Abuja, during the first distinguished parliamentarians lecture series, organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), with the theme, “The legislature, legislative mandate […]

President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the National Assembly to sustain programmes aimed at strengthening the country’s democracy and enthroning best practices.

The president gave the charge on Monday in Abuja, during the first distinguished parliamentarians lecture series, organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), with the theme, “The legislature, legislative mandate and the people: The reality and the public perception.”

Buhari who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, assured that the executive arm of government would continue to build on the existing good working relationship with the legislature in the interest of Nigerians.

The President said, “I therefore charge the National Assembly and the NILDS to ensure that this lecture series is sustained and targeted at addressing key national and constitutional issues in a manner that would strengthen our democracy, eliminate grey areas and enthrone best practices.”

In his welcome speech, Chairman of the occasion and a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, said members of the National Assembly are supposed to be knowledgeable enough to be able to drive development in synergy with the president, adding that the three arms of government are all crucial for good governance. 

The lecture was delivered by the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, who among other things, debunked the public perception of the 9th National Assembly as a rubber stamp of the executive.