Opposition coalition okays budget presentation by Buhari to National Assembly

The opposition coalition CUPP has yielded to pressure Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, to sheathe its sword and withdraw the call for a boycott of President Muhammadu Buhari’s presentation of the 2019 Budget to a joint session of NASS today, Wednesday, December 19, 2018.

“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,” CUPP Ist National Spokesperson, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, said yesterday in a statement.

The coalition, however, vows to “continue efforts to ensure they deploy all lawful arsenal at their disposal to ensure that 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, according to the statement, “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 of Police 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.”