The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed through second reading a bill to empower the National Assembly to summon the president.
Sergius Ogun (PDP–Edo) ,who sponsored the bill in his argument, on Tuesday, in Abuja, said the doctrine of separation of power must be upheld.
Explaining that the bill is about deepening accountability, the lawmaker cited the controversy that trailed the summoning of President Muhamadu Buhari in November last year and the response of the Attorney General Abubakar Malami.
Malami had argued that the House of Representatives lacks the power to summon the President.
Ogun said part of the reasons adduced for the president’s non-appearance was that the House had no constitutional powers to invite him.
He noted that such invitations to the president were not expressly stated in Nigerian laws, adding that the lawmakers must give it constitutional backing to be able to summon the president and state governors.
Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, however, referred the bill to the House Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.
