The strained relationship between the Presidency and the leadership of the National Assembly came to the fore again on Saturday with the release of the list of those on the entourage of President Muhammadu Buhari to the United States of America.
No no single serving federal lawmaker made the 33-man delegation of Buhari to the United States of America for talks with top government officials of the country, including President Barack Obama.
A further pointer to this cold relationship between the Presidency and leadership of the 8th National Assembly is the fact that within the last six weeks of their emergence, they have not officially met with the President in the Aso Rock Presidential Villa for the needed collaboration on a common agenda.
The decision of President Buhari not to pick single member of the National Assembly may not be unconnected with the circumstance that surrounded the emergence of both the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara.
It could be recalled that both Saraki and Dogara ignored the directives of the leadership of All Progressives Congress on the emergence of principal officers in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
President Buhari had told both Saraki and Dogara to respect the party’s directives on the emergence of principal officers of the National Assembly.
Those who are on Buhari’s entourage for the US trip are Governors Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, Adams Oshiomhole, Kashim Shettima and Abiola Adeyemi Ajimobi; the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele; former Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State; Senator Hadi Sirika; Ambassador Paul Bulus Z; Ambassador Ayodele Oke; Alhaji Aliyu Ismaila; Ambassador A.A. Musa; Ambassador G.B. Igali; Aliyu Yahaya Gusau; Dr. Mahmud Mohammed; Pastor Tunde Bakare; Ismaila Isa Funtua; Femi Adesina; and Dr. Suhayb Sanusi Rafindadi.
Others are Malam Garba, Mohammed Sarki, Kalu Abba-Snr, Ambassador Lawal A. Kazaure, Air Commodore N. B. Bali, Nura Rimi, Bashir Abubakar, Lieutenant Colonel M. Lawal Abubakar, Abdulkarim Dauda, Yau Abdullahi and Sabiu Yusuf.