Buhari’s visit on the occasion of budget presentation thereforeachieved more than just one goal. It succeededin calling the bluff of the rebellious PDP lawmakers who had tried at all timesto frustrate any proramme or project of the APC’s president by making true hispromise and confidence to present his budget and also proved to the faces ofSaraki, Ike Ekweremadu, his deputy, and Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives, who looked invariably disappointed for the time the President’sstay in the joint session lasted, that they are not what they claim to be.
Against the much talk and boast about which of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) has majority members in the National Assembly, President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the legislative community on Wednesday has provided clear, final and permanent answer.
He was treated into a very soundly reverberated reception as stepped into the joint session of both chambers to president his 2019 Appropriation Bills.
Thursday’s outing at the Assembly was a further proof that Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, both of the minority PDP clinging continuously to the leadership of the National Assembly are not fit to be there, if the system of government that is practiced in Nigeria and which brought both of them to the legislature is democracy.
It will be recalled that Saraki has claimed persistently that it was not only that his party, PDP, is in the majority in both chambers of the legislative arm of government but also that loyalty of the majority of the members including even APC lawmakers belong to him.
Buhari’s visit on the occasion of budget presentation thereforeachieved more than just one goal. It succeededin calling the bluff of the rebellious PDP lawmakers who had tried at all timesto frustrate any proramme or project of the APC’s president by making true hispromise and confidence to present his budget and also proved to the faces ofSaraki, Ike Ekweremadu, his deputy, and Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives, who looked invariably disappointed for the time the President’sstay in the joint session lasted, that they are not what they claim to be.
Rather, it proved to both the “illegal occupants of NASS leadership”, Nigerians home and around the world that Muhammadu Buhari, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), Chairman, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Leader of the African Union (AU) Anti-Corruption Fight and Chairman of the Lake Chad Development Commission (LCDC), is on top of popularity scale anywhere in the country including even among the governors of the PDP.
This reality is the reason, despite attempts by the PDP lawmakers to boo the President while he listed his achievements during the presentation of his budget speech, the President emerged popular and those expected to be lawmakers for Nigeria but who all along – particularly during the joint session – proved to be lawmakers of their PDP leadership of the Second Arm ended up in destructively self-inflicted shame.
That was because those elements within the opposition despite their attempted to make the presidential budget presentation a mockery, they were overrun by popular sounds of applauses when lawmakers with loyalty to the President and the APC hailed him for as long his stay lasted at the joint session.
President Buhari was hailed by members of the National Assembly starting from his arrival at the Assembly complex so much that shouts of “Sai Baba” rented the air of the expansive complex.
While some lawmakers particularly were seen carrying placards with inscriptions inclusive of “4 plus 4”, “Buhari, you are the best”, etc, others simply did thumbs up to signpost their nods for the President impressive presentation and continuity of his government.
In the end, sum total of rating of Wednesday’s event at NASS, Saraki and PDP’s popularity which they had impressed on Nigerians and the world resided in the strength they purportedly wield in the National Assembly further diminished and it is now clear that not only the APC is in the majority of National Assembly and may any moment from now reclaim their leadership but also that Muhammadu Buhari is on ground anywhere in the country.
To many people on earth, President Buhari’s popularity is not one that was bought with money but earned by integrity and performance.
