By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA—Following last Tuesday’s decision of the Senate to reject the non-career ambassadorial list sent to it by the Presidency, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has denied reports of a face-off between the lawmakers and President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement signed by its national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the party “assured Nigerians that relations among the country’s three arms of government, particularly the executive and the legislature, was healthy and strong.”

APC said the assurance was in reaction to a statement credited to a faction of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, suggesting a rift between the executive and legislature, following the

Senate’s return of the list of non-career ambassadors to the Presidency for a review.

“The Senate, in the adopted report of its Committee on Foreign Affairs stated  on Tuesday  that the decision to return the list followed petitions received on the nominations and went ahead to propose that the presidency reviewed the ambassadorial list.

“Hence, attempts by the PDP to give the Senate action a political colouration and other negative interpretations are unnecessary and misleading.

“President Muhammadu Buhari is a democrat and does not subscribe to the idea of “controlling” the National Assembly as was the practice with the PDP during its 16-year misrule of the country.

“Respect for the principle of the Rule of Law and the constitutional provisions of Separation of Powers, among the three arms of government is a best practice and also healthy for our democracy.

‘’The powers and duties of the three arms of government are clearly spelt out in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and President Muhammadu Buhari respects them,” APC stated.