The Presidency has denied reports suggesting that the executive and legislative arm of government might be at loggerheads following an episode on Friday at the State House during the signing of the 2022 Budget and Finance Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Emerging reports had suggested that the insertion in the 2022 Appropriation Act, of 6,576 new schemes worth about N37 billion by the National Assembly, was causing a rift between the two arms of government. However, the spokesman for the President, Garba Shehu, in a lengthy statement on Sunday evening said while it is true that Buhari expressed disagreement with the insertions and many of the other alterations, still, the president and the parliament have not fallen out.
According to him, President Buhari frowned at a couple of things including “reduction in the provisions for many strategic capital projects to introduce ‘Empowerment Projects’,” but, “innumerable lies are being spread about the president being ‘angry’” at the lawmakers and lashing out at the parliament.
Mr Shehu said there is no rift between President Buhari and the National Assembly, adding that both arms of government are working amicably for the good of the nation.
