By Shola Abayomi.
An unconfirmed Presidential Proclamation document supposedly signed by President Muhammadu Buhari stating the date for the inauguration of the Ninth National Assembly has gone viral on social media.
Dated May 30, 2019, and stamped with a Presidential seal, the Proclamation document scheduled June 11, 2019, as the date for the inauguration of the Ninth National Assembly.
However, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate) Senator Ita Enang, whose duty it is to channel such document to the national assembly has debunked knowledge of the document; even though sources at the office of the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Omolori, had reportedly acknowledged receipt of the letter.
The document titled: Proclamation for the holding of the 1st 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. Muhammadu Buhari”
See copy of the purported proclamation letter below:
