The President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, has denied insinuations he is a rubber stamp for the executive as “sentimental and laughable”.
Lawan, according to a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mohammed Isa, on Friday, stated this while addressing a group, Women Parliamentarians, led by Senator Joy Emordi in Abuja.
He said his belief in President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision and that of the All Progressives Congress should not be misconstrued to mean that he was a yes-man.
He said, “During my campaign, I was called a potential rubber-stamp Senate President for the executive, may be because I am close to the President, or because I believe in his cause.
“There is no time that I will ever be a rubber-stamp. Yes, I believe in President Buhari as a person and I believe in my party, but I believe that our problems as Nigerians are Nigerian problems.
“They are neither APC nor Peoples Democratic Party’s problems; they are Nigerian problems that require a Nigerian solution. So, we have to work together.
“We will be there for the executive arm of government all the time to move this country forward.
“We are going to challenge the executive in a manner that is decent but decisive.
“As a minister, you have to do your ministerial job well. We will make government appointees to do what is required of them.
“We have to deal with the issues confronting us. It is not going to be easy, but we have to build a relationship that has mutual respect, collaboration and partnership. It is achievable.”
Lawan urged the women to be more involved in politics.
He said, “The political space in the country is wide enough to accommodate our women, but the ball is in their court.”
Emordi said the group was formed to support women in the parliament.
She said, “It is our objective to promote a cordial relationship between the executive and legislature, and remove the boundaries on women participation in politics for good governance.”
Meanwhile, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, has said the Senate will do everything in it power to help Buhari deliver on his next level agenda to Nigerians in the next four years.
Omo-Agege stated this on Friday while receiving a delegation of the Abraka Progressive Union led by Dr Ben Eruotor at the National Assembly, Abuja.
