Olusegun Bamgbose, Esq, a chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, has said that it is now very obvious that Vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is no longer wanted at the Presidency.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday left Nigeria for the United Kingdom where he will spend two weeks on routine medical checkup.
But the President, as usual, did not officially hand over to his Vice, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and this, Mr. Bamgbose, a senior lawyer described as unconstitutional and diplomatically unacceptable.
The Presidency has already told Nigerians that Buhari will govern the country from wherever he is, insisting that it is unnecessary for him to transmit power to Osinbajo.
“It has gone to show without any iota of doubt that the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo is not giving his rightful regard in the Presidency. He is no longer wanted in the Presidency,” Bamgbose told DAILY POST on Wednesday.
“President Buhari is creating a very bad precedent. One wonders why APC leaders have refused to correct this anomaly. I believe this has to be corrected. We shouldn’t allow Buhari to govern Nigeria as his private estate.
“Nigeria is not Buhari’s private estate, it’s a nation of about 200 million people. This is a country that has a law. It’s ethically wrong for President not to hand over power to Osinbajo when he will be out of the country for two weeks.
“I’m aware that those who are supposed to know the right thing are advising him wrongly. It’s a very pathetic situation. In essence Nigeria will be without a leader for two weeks.
“This does not make sense. What happens in case of emergency? Will Buhari come back from UK to deal with it or give orders from UK?This is certainly not the best practice as far as running of government is concerned.
“The truth of the matter is that, if this happens again, we shall have no doubt other option but to head to court. The Court won’t waste time to declare it unconstitutional.
“The President is expected to hand over to his Vice president, any thing short of this is unacceptable.
“What gives one assurance that President Buhari will handover to a Southerner in 2023, if he can’t hand over power to his Vice for two weeks?
“President Buhari’s action is tantamount to an abuse of his office as the President of the country.
“Governing a country is never a family or private affair. It’s a national affair. One however believes this won’t repeat itself. I wish him safe medical treatment.
“Let him however remember also that Nigeria urgently need economic and security treatment. Our nation is sick, the citizens are hungry,” he said.
