The Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, on Tuesday withdrew its call on federal lawmakers to boycott Wednesday’s joint session of the National Assembly during which President Muhammadu Buhari is scheduled to present the 2019 Appropriation Bill.
DAILY POST reports that CUPP had called for a boycott of the session over the President’s refusal to substantially implement previous budgets from 2015 to 2018 and his refusal to sign the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill that will guarantee free and fair elections.
The coalition disclosed this in a statement by its national spokesperson, Imo Ugochinyere, explaining that its position on the matter was changed following the intervention of the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; and two unnamed former presidents.
Ugochinyere, however, called on the lawmakers to scrutinise the document when eventually presented, adding that the present administration has been characterised by a reign of impunity.
The statement read, “The opposition coalition has yielded to the pressure of an early morning intervention by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, calling on opposition coalition CUPP to sheath their sword and withdraw their call on opposition boycott.
“The opposition leadership, after reviewing the intervention of Senate President and the Speaker as well as other eminent leaders including two former Presidents, wish to announce a withdrawal of the call.
“The opposition coalition says they will continue efforts to ensure they deploy all lawful arsenal at their disposal to ensure the President is defeated and urges parliamentarians to scrutinise the budget documents when presented and ensure it reflects the wishes of the people.
“The opposition however holds strongly to the views expressed for the boycott over the three years reign of impunity of the President despite the call off.
“The opposition also condemns the IGP for illegally holding activist Deji Adeyanju and moving him by 4am to Kano in a plot to hold him behind bars over a case he has been discharged and acquitted by a court of competent jurisdiction.”
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