TheCable

President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki exchange banters at the presidential villa in Abuja during the celebration of the 55th independence anniversary of the country.

Both men sat next to each other at the ceremonial change of guards, which held at the forecourt of the villa on Thursday.

The last time Buhari and Saraki were seen in public was during the national executive committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in July.

At that time, tension was still high in the party over the emergence of the leadership of the 8th assembly.

Buhari had insisted that the party’s wish must be respected, indirectly telling Saraki and Dogara to heed the instruction of  APC while naming the remaining principal officers of the house.

While Dogara adhered, Saraki went on to pick his allies, disregarding the party for the second time in a row and the president and Saraki have not been on speaking terms with him since then.

Buhari has distanced himself from the ongoing trial of Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) but in a recent interview with SaharaTv, he said the outcome of the investigation would determine whether or not he would have confidence in the senate president.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives;  Mahmud Mohammed, chief justice of Nigeria; Yakubu Gowon, former head of state; Alex Ekwueme, Ernest Shonekan, former interim president; all the service chiefs, were among the dignitaries that witnessed Thursday’s programme.