Presidency Backs Lobbying Senators For Ex-Service Chiefs Confirmation

The Presidency has stated that it is not wrong to lobby senators for confirmation of appointments of former Service Chiefs as ambassadors.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had on Thursday last week forwarded a request for confirmation to the Senate ambassadorial nominations of former Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt- Gen Yusuf Tukur Buratai, former Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal, Abubakar Sadeeq and former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok – Ete Ekwe Ibas.

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and some Nigerians had called on the Senate to align with the Nigerian people and reject the confirmation.

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Speaking to newsmen on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Babajide Omoworare said the Presidency is not losing sleep on the request.

He also debunked knowledge of moves to lobby lawmaker despite stressing that lobbying between the executive and the legislature and vice versa was normal and practised in all democracies.

“I think if anybody says there is any lobbying going on as regards nominations of former service chiefs for ambassadorial appointments by Mr President, I am not aware,” Omoworare said.

“But if there is lobbying going on for them to pass through the confirmation process, I sincerely think it is in order, it is not an aberration, it’s not a transgression, it’s not a sin for lobbying to occur.”

“It is for the senators to determine whether looking at their profiles, their curriculum vitae and their credentials they can be good representatives of Nigeria.

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“For them to even be service chiefs, it means they have attained some heights because being service chief is being at the pinnacle of their career which is an achievement.”