Senate President Ahmad Lawan says it is mischievous to describe the national assembly as a rubber stamp legislature.
Lawan said this when some of his supporters welcomed him at the Jigawa airport after a three-week “private visit” abroad.
The senate president said the current assembly is determined to make a positive difference in the lives of Nigerians, adding that the lawmakers would insist on the right thing any time the executive breaches procedures.
“We are so terribly misunderstood that when we say that we are going to work with the executive arm of government in a very harmonious and productive manner, some people, some out of misunderstanding, some out of mischief, say it’s a rubber stamp national assembly,” Lawan said in a statement by Ola Awoniyi, his spokesman.
“Let me say this – no amount of distractions or blackmail will stop us from being united in the national assembly for the benefit of Nigerians who elected us and nothing will discourage us from working with the executive arm of government for the betterment of our country.
“As a legislature we know where our limits lie in terms of cooperation and in working with the executive arm of government. But we are going to give the president and his team every possible legislative support that they require to make this country better and greater.
“Where we feel that there is a breach of procedures and processes by the executive arm of government, we will insist that the right things are done. So it doesn’t mean that because we are peaceful and that we are cordial with the executive arm of government that we are rubber stamp but that is something that will not distract us.
“We have seen what a ‘rubber stamp’ national assembly could do. We have already passed so many important and critical legislation within the last six months and if that is what we can be achieving with that kind of understanding so be it.”
Lawan urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the national assembly.