Forgery: Buhari never said sorry to Senate, says Presidency

Abuja – The presidency has refuted media reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had apologized to the Senate for the conduct of an official of the ministry of justice, Premium Times said on Saturday.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang dismissed the reports as a misrepresentation of his comments.

Reports on Friday indicated that President Buhari had openly apologized to the senate over the statement made by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami.

Malami had on Friday said that he was not answerable to the senate.

According to a previous News24 report, the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters had summoned Malami to appear before it to
justify why he instituted forgery against the senate leadership.

Rather than appear before the senate, Malami sent the Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution, Okoi Obono-Obla.

Obono-Obla later told journalists that the AGF was not answerable to the Senate.

He described the sitting of the committee as illegal and contempt of court, adding that the presidency lacked confidence in the panel.

But Buhari, according to reports, through his Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang apologised to the Senate for the remarks made by the representative of the AGF.

Enang said Malami is on an official assignment outside the country.
He promised that once the AGF returns, he will appear before the panel.

But, setting the record straight on Friday, Enang said the development had prompted him to convene a press
conference at his residence as a way of easing tensions between the presidency and the National Assembly.

“I am a presidential liaison officer and I apologize for the inability of the Attorney-General to appear before the Senate when he was invited. “He received a letter of invitation after he had already planned an official trip,” Premium Times quoted Enang as saying.
Enang said he had assured the senators that Mr. Malami would honour their invitation upon his return to the country.