The Attorney General of the Federation (SAN) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), said on Wednesday that the National Assembly has no constitutional power to summon President Muhammadu Buhari to appear before them.
The House of Representatives, last week invited President Buhari to address the House on the increase of attacks on Nigerians by Boko Haram terrorists, bandits and kidnappers.
This was after no fewer than 70 farmers were slaughtered by Boko Haram terrorists in their farm in Borno.
However, Malami noted that the National Assembly has no constitutional power to summon the president on operational use of the Armed Forces.
“The right of the President to engage the National Assembly and appear before it is inherently discretionary in the President and not at the behest of the National Assembly.
“President has enjoyed Constitutional privileges attached to the Office of the President including exclusivity and confidentiality investiture in security operational matters, which remains sacrosanct,” said Malami in a statement he personally signed.
According to the minister, President Buhari has recorded tremendous success in containing the hitherto incessant bombing, killings, wanton destruction of lives and property that bedeviled the country before 2015 when Buhari was elected as president.
Malami stated further: “The confidentiality of strategies employed by the President as the commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not open for public exposore in view of security implications in probable undermining of the war against terror.
“The fact that President Muhammadu Buhari was instrumental to the reclaiming of over 14 Local Governments previously controlled by the Boko Haram in North East is an open secret, the strategies for such achievement are not open for public expose.”
While condoling the bereaved and sympathizing with the victims of the associated insecurity in the country, Malami maintained that national security is not about publicity and the nation’s security architecture cannot be exposed for the sake of getting publicity.
