President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday set up a committee to resolve the perennial rift between the executive and the legislature.

The committee, chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has as members, all ministers who were at one time federal legislators as well as the Senior Special Assistants to the President on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang (Senate) and Samaila Kawu (House of Representatives).

The committee met behind closed doors after the federal executive council meeting amidst concern over the strained relationship between the executive and the Senate in particular.

“The executive is also concerned that the relationship between the two arms of government is not as smooth as it is supposed to be,” information minister later said in his briefing.

“In any democracy, it is a continuous struggle for balancing between the executive and the legislature because each of them is a creature of the law.

“Just today (Wednesday) at the Federal Executive Council meeting, the issue was discussed and a committee is already working on ensuring that we resolve all these outstanding issues,” the minister said.

The Senate had Tuesday put off the confirmation of 27 Resident Electoral Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission based on the refusal by the executive to remove the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, who had been rejected twice.

The upper chamber had also expressed displeasure at the refusal by the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Hameed Ali, to wear uniform.

The Senate had earlier this year called for the removal of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, following allegation of misappropriation of funds meant for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the northeast.

Dailytrustng