Following speculations over Buhari's health status with many people
suggesting that it could result in serious constitutional crisis soon,
the presidency has reacted.
President Muhammadu Buhari
The
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam
Garba Shehu, has dismissed an article by a Nigerian historian, Max
Siollun, entitled "The Gentleman's Agreement that Could Break Apart Nigeria," published in the United States-based Foreign Policy magazine.
The
piece speculates that Nigeria faces imminent political and
constitutional crisis on account of President Buhari’s absence to attend
to his health in London.
Reacting to what he
called "needlessly sensational and exaggerated speculations by
conspiracy theorists", the Presidential aide explained that it is
misleading to compare President Buhari’s case to that of the late
President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, adding that the circumstances are
completely different.
According to Shehu, unlike
President Yar’Adua, President Buhari has duly complied with the
constitutional requirements by formally notifying the National Assembly
of his intention to go for medical treatment and handing over to
Professor Yemi Osinbajo as Acting President.
Malam Shehu added that, "While
Yar’Adua was too severely ill to transmit a letter formally to the
Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
President Buhari is not in such medical state, and therefore, the
country is not currently facing any complications on account of his
absence."
The media aide noted that under
President Yar’Adua, there was uncertainty about the role of the Vice
President because the late President was not in a position to formally
transfer power to his deputy, which necessitated the resort to the
doctrine of necessity to enable Dr. Goodluck Jonathan act in his
absence.
Malam Shehu explained that, currently,
none of these circumstances prevail in Nigeria on account of President
Buhari’s absence for medical treatment.
According to him, having transferred power formally to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, President Muhammadu Buhari
did not leave Nigeria with any power vacuum, adding, therefore, that
any suggestions of uncertainty or constitutional crisis are imaginary
and exaggerated.
He explained that with the Acting
President Professor Osinbajo already running the affairs of the country
in the absence of President Buhari, people should stop creating
artificial fears of crisis or uncertainty, noting that governance has
not ground to a halt because President Buhari has duly complied with the
constitution.
Malam Shehu appealed to conspiracy
theorists not to pollute the polity by needlessly seeking to create an
atmosphere of fear, uncertainty and suspicions in the country.
The
Media aide said that the President publicly admitted he was sick and
taking treatment and that he never pretended about his health condition
with that open admission.