Following conflicting reports about President Muhammadu Buhari’s health status and whereabouts, Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber, the Senate, has declared that there is no vacuum in the Nigerian Presidency.
Senate spokesperson, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi Sabi, said on a phone-in programme monitored in Lagos that the extension of President Buhari’s vacation, owing to medical reason, had not created any vacuum in the leadership of the country.
Sabi added that the President, as provided in the constitution, had taken the right step by notifying the Senate before embarking on his vacation and by transmitting power to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to act in his stead. The lawmaker further said that the second letter transmitted to the Senate by the President informing it of the extension of his medical vacation, was also in order.
He said, “As you know, we suspended the plenary to consider the budget and other crucial legislative activities, and that was why we are out of plenary. We are expected to resume plenary by the February 27 or 28. Now, to the aspect of Mr. President’s vacation: he submitted a letter to the National Assembly, specifically the Senate, notifying that he would be away for 10 days.
At the expiration, he transmitted another letter, requesting an extension to avail him the opportunity to undergo additional routine medical checkup as recommended by his doctors. And the good thing is that the vice president, as stated in the letter, is acting on his behalf. The truth of the matter is that there is no vacuum here. “And since we have already considered the first letter, the second letter being an extension, is automatically considered also.
Right now, we didn’t see the situation as an emergency, because there is nothing to connote that.
All the letters have been read at the plenary. The remaining issues will be at the resumption of plenary, because most of our colleagues are at oversights such as budget scrutiny; some of them are at other national assignments, among which is the Kaduna killings.
” Asked if there had been any conversation between President Buhari and the Senate leadership to ascertain his state of health, the Senate spokesperson said, “I cannot confirm that because I have not asked the Senate President or the National Assembly leadership if they have done that. But the matter is that we have received this letter, which Mr. President transmitted to us. We trust that Mr. President is well and he will be back soon.
So, Nigerians should be patient. I know that the experience is not unconnected with the past experience, and I think that alone should give the confidence that we are doing the right thing.”
On the confirmation of the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, now generating concerns among Nigerians, Sabi said he was not aware of any letter from the Presidency requesting to confirm him as the substantive CJN. “I’m yet to confirm that, but I will surely do that”, the Senate spokesperson said.
