NASS May Extend Recess To October

Indication has emerged that the National Assembly may postpone its resumption to October 9. This is contrary to the September 25 resumption date which was earlier fixed after the federal lawmakers adjourned both chambers of the National Assembly on July 24.
A dependable source in the Senate told LEADERSHIP yesterday that the postponement is against the backdrop of primary elections to be held by All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which will commence on September 20‬ and end on October 6 this year.
The source who didn’t want his name mentioned in print, said the primary elections timetables of both APC and PDP has made it imperative for the leadership of both chambers to postpone the resumption of the two chambers.
“The necessity of the postponement is very clear and certain, since the time table of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fixed October 7, as the final date of submission of names of presidential candidates of all political parties.
“This is not about any partisan politics or self-driven interest, but about carrying out the required processes ahead of the 2019 general elections on the template put on ground by INEC”, he stressed.
However, efforts made to clarify the situation from the Senate spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi and the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA) Alhaji Mohammed Ataba Sani- Omolori yesterday were not successful, just as the later was said to have travelled outside the country.
Meanwhile, Sani-Omolori’s media aide , Andrew Oota, in a telephone conversation with few journalists said decision to that effect by political leaders of the National Assembly, that is the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara has not been transmitted to them for official announcement.