Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Tajudeen Abbas, on Wednesday explained why President Bola Tinubu declined to address the joint session of the National Assembly.
The Speaker said all activities to mark Democracy Day will be held on 12 June.
There were conflicting statements on Tuesday from the presidential aides regarding the President addressing the joint session of the National Assembly.
While the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, stated that there would not be the usual broadcast by the President on 29 May, he mentioned that the President would instead address the joint session of the National Assembly on the activities of his government in the past year.
However, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, in another statement, said that the Office of the President was not aware of any joint session, describing Onanuga’s statement as “false” and “unauthorised”.
Clarifying the apparent mix-up, the Speaker said that President Tinubu declined to address the joint session of the National Assembly because all activities to mark Democracy Day will be held on 12 June.
He said it was the House that erred in inviting the President to address a joint session, stating that the lawmakers have been “corrected by the President”.
Honourable Abbas further stated that the President will only flag off the Old National Anthem, which has come into effect with the signing of the controversial National Anthem Bill.
