An unconfirmed Presidential Proclamation of the Ninth National Assembly surfaced in Abuja, yesterday.
The May 30, 2019 Proclamation, purportedly signed by President Muhammadu Buhari, scheduled Tuesday, June 11, as the date for the inauguration of the Ninth National Assembly.
The presidential proclamation was not addressed to any officer in the either the National Assembly management or the two chambers. The document, with a presidential seal, went viral on social media, yesterday.
Although sources at the office of the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Omolori, confirmed receipt of the Proclamation, however, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, promised to establish the authenticity, or otherwise, of the document and revert to reporters.
He did not.
Another presidential aide simply pushed reporters back to Enang, for confirmation.
The three paragraph letter, written under the crest of the “President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, which was titled: Proclamation for the holding of the First session of the 9th National Assembly” read: “Whereas it is provided in Section 64(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) that the person elected as President shall have power to issue a Proclamation for the holding of the first session of the National Assembly immediately after his being sworn-in.
“Now, therefore, I Muhammadu Buhari, President Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in exercise of the powers bestowed upon me by Section 64 (3) aforesaid and of all other powers enabling me in that behalf, hereby proclaim me in that behalf, hereby proclaim that the first session of the Ninth (9th) National Assembly shall hold at 10:00am on Tuesday, 11th June, 2019 in the National Assembly, Abuja.
“Given under my hand and the public seal of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at Abuja, this 30th day of May, 2019.”
It was signed: “Muhammadu Buhari”