Jonathan moves to mend fences with N’ Assembly

President Goodluck Jonathan

The Presidency  has initiated fence-mending with the National Assembly, particularly the House of Representatives,   in a bid to improve on  the strained relations between the two sides.

The  Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan  on Political Matters, Mr. Ahmed Gulak, made a dramatic appearance at the House of Representatives to discuss with some lawmakers.

Findings indicated that Gulak’s mission was to meet with the Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, and some principal officers  over the  legislature-executive face-off.

However, The PUNCH learnt that Gulak did not meet Tambuwal, who was not in the office at the time he  arrived.

But, he met and discussed with selected lawmakers, spending about 15 minutes with each of them.

One of the members he visited  was Mr. Aminu Jonathan from Plateau State.

Gulak visited  the legislature barely one week after Jonathan sacked his Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Mrs. Joy Emodi.

The sacking came on the heels of the visit of  of the National Chairman of the New Peoples Democratic Party  and seven governors in the faction  to   the National Assembly.

At the House, the visit was disrupted by lawmakers in the Bamanga Tukur-led  PDP , who opposed Tambuwal’s decision to receive the group.

There were speculated moves by the Presidency to move against Tambuwal following the visit.  The Presidency was  alleged to have  paid $25,000 to lawmakers in the  Tukur-led  PDP   to impeach the speaker.

About the same time, the House   suspended  its plenary to embark on “full and comprehensive oversight on the implementation of the 2013 budget.”

Investigations showed that the outcome of the oversight tour of capital project sites could result in “Jonathan bashing” by the lawmakers.

A source  close to both arms of the government said, “The Presidency will not be comfortable with any issues that may further heat up the polity. There is an urgent need to work on the relations between the two arms of government.

“Gulak must have come to the National Assembly to see how they can improve on their relations.”

He added that the Presidency would also pay a similar visit to the Senate which also played host to the Baraje- led New PDP team. He however declined to state when the visit would be.

A surprised Gulak was ambushed by reporters shortly after exiting the office of one of the House of Representatives members he visited.

At first, he tried to parry questions by claiming that he visited  to chat  with some of his friends.

However, when he was reminded that he had not visited the House in the last two years, Gulak admitted that he came to “discuss the process of moving the country forward.”

Asked whether the Presidency paid some lawmakers to impeach Tambuwal, Gulak said  Jonathan had never contemplated removing the speaker.

He described the matter as “figment of people’s imagination.”

Gulak  added,  “The purpose of my visit is part of the processes of trying to meet our friends, discuss with them and move the country forward.

“We intended to meet the speaker but unfortunately he is not around. My visit today(Wednesday) is part of moves to cement the relationship between the Legislature and Executive which is normal.

“You know Mr. President will never support destabilising the National Assembly. You will agree with me that this President we have will never support any move to destabilise the National Assembly.

“The National Assembly is a pillar of this administration that stabilises the polity.

“Destabilising it will not be good for the country and Mr. President is aware of that and he has taken that upon himself not to destabilise or support anything that will destabilise the National Assembly.”

Reacting specifically to the $25,000 bribery allegation, he said, “That is not true; it can never be true

 “You know Mr. President  is a different President; please and please, and I plead with you to see him as who he is.

“He says what he means and means what he says. Since he became President, he is the only one whose tenure has not been involved in the so- called banana peels in the National Assembly.

“He supports the stabilisation of the National Assembly. All these stories are figments of people’s imagination, especially those who believe that they ought to be in the lead in this country and not part of the present leadership.”

On the factional crisis rocking the PDP, Gulak claimed that the PDP was intact.But he pointed out that some people did not want to follow the rule of law and the Nigerian constitution.

The presidential aide added, “There is nothing like New PDP; I always say that there is no political crisis in Nigeria. What we are witnessing is mad pursuit of unrealisable ambition by few people who are blinded by ambition; who cannot see anything good in their own country; and have refused to know that this country is governed  by law.”