Buhari to meet Dogara, Saraki, Lawan groups- NASS crisis

The process of healing the wounds inflicted on the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the recent emergence of Dr. Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Yakubu Dogara as House of Representatives Speaker may have been set in motion by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The President plans to meet Dr. Saraki, Dogara and the aggrieved members of the Unity Forum, supporters of Senator Ahmed Lawan, who was the APC’s official candidate for the Senate Presidency.
The meeting may come up this week, The Damislight gathered last night.
Dogara already has an appointment with the President, sources said.
The Lawan group is awaiting confirmation of its appointment with the President.
A source familiar with the development said the President is desirous of getting the crisis resolved once and for all.

“The President intends to appeal to all parties to bury the hatchets in order to move forward,” the source said.
“The President will meet formally and informally with all parties to the crisis in the new week (this week). He is neither shunning Saraki nor Dogara as being insinuated. But the President is trying to ensure peace and reconciliation.
“Buhari is disturbed that the take-off of the 8th National Assembly was not smooth as anticipated. Rather than blame any party, he wants an end to the crisis without interference in the internal affairs of the Senate or House of Representatives.”
Another source said: “The President might meet with members of the Unity Forum of Senator Ahmed Lawan on how the National Assembly can move forward.
“The meeting was slated for last week but most members of the forum were out of Abuja and it had to be postponed at the last minute.”
The Lawan group had presented six demands to APC leadership for a sustainable reconciliation.
The demands are as follows:
o APC leadership should instil discipline and intervene in the choice of some principal officers in the Senate.
o It is better to leave the choice of some principal officers to APC than zonal caucuses in order not to further divide the governing party
o Ranking must be considered in the selection of principal officers.
o Concession of some principal offices to the Unity Forum including Ahmed Lawan (Majority Leader); George Akume (Deputy Majority Leader); Prof. Sola Adeyeye (Senate Whip); and Abu Ibrahim (Deputy Whip).
o Reconciliation is possible if Saraki group does not play the politics of winner- takes- all
o PDP should not be allowed to produce any principal officer except those due to it as the minority party in the Senate
When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said: “I am aware that the President is already scheduled to receive the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara in the week. “The President believes in institutional respect, there is no way he will shun the leaders of the National Assembly. He is not avoiding Saraki or Dogara. ”
On Friday, Dr. Saraki, accompanied by some Senators and former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, met former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his Abeokuta residence on the National Assembly crisis.
Saraki, emerging from the two hour meeting told reporters that he was at Obasanjo’s residence to “see the former President, as one of our fathers and former President, to pay our homage and visit to him, get his advice, get his blessing and also to consult.
“We all know President Obasanjo’s value to this country and we are here to tap from that wisdom and that knowledge and experience.
“I think as you can see, things are moving smoothly definitely. You should rest assured that all that would be put behind us shortly; we are very confident about that.”
He expressed optimism that that crisis sparked by his emergence as Senate president would soon be resolved.
It was gathered yesterday that Chief Obasanjo made no commitment to Saraki during the visit.
A source at the session said: “Obasanjo noted the issues raised and avoided any commitment for strategic reasons. He was careful not to be misrepresented by some members of the delegation.
“I think he opted for a middle course approach because his loyalists are also divided along pro and anti-Saraki.
“Although Obasanjo congratulated Saraki, his body language suggested that he might, however, wade in the crisis in the National Assembly and resolve it.”