Why I Was Absent At Independence Day Parade — Saraki

The rift between the executive and the legislative arms of government, once again, manifested at the 58th Independence Day anniversary as the leadership of the National Assembly was conspicuously absent.
But two former Heads of State, Generals Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar, alongside Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, were among the dignitaries that witnessed the Independence parade with President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, were elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2015, but recently dumped the president’s party for Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The Senate President is one of the presidential aspirants on the PDP platform, while Dogara has also picked the PDP House of Representatives nomination form.
President Buhari did not make any speech at the ceremony that saw different armed forces displaying their combat readiness in case of any external aggression and even internal strife.
The Nigeria Police was not left out, as its outriders entertained the public, which included members of the federal cabinet, Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha, and other government functionaries.
Also present was a former military leader, Oladipo Diya.
There was inspection of guards by President Buhari, which was followed by march past in slow and quick time.
There was also march past by para-military organisations, agencies and Nigeria Police Force mounted troops.
The last time the ceremony held at the Eagle Square was in 2010 under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
That parade in 2010 was marred by bomb blasts. Since that year, subsequent independence anniversary parades were held in low key at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Buhari, who made national broadcast marking the 58th Independence anniversary at 7am Monday broke the jinx and arrived the Eagle Square venue of the parade around 9.30am.