Inside Aso Rock without President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari, penultimate Thursday (April 25), after an official assignment in Maiduguri, Borno State, left Nigeria for a 10-day private visit to London, the United Kingdom.

Ordinarily, it was expected that, after rigorous campaigns for the general elections, Buhari who sought re-election and was declared the winner of the February 23 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, should have some days’ rest.

As human, coupled with the fact that old age has set in, he needed some rest even though he displayed rare agility during the electioneering campaigns.

It was also expected that as he takes some days off to rest, he would formally transmit power to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, through a communication to the National Assembly but that didn’t happen.

Already, tongues are wagging over the non-transmission of power to the Vice President before Buhari jetted out of the country.

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has described the President’s UK trip as illegal.

Falana said, “The President is not permitted by the Constitution to abandon the enormous responsibilities of his office for 10 days on account of a private visit to the United Kingdom or any other country whatsoever”.

Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution states that, whenever the President is travelling out of the country on vacation, he must transmit a letter to the National Assembly.

But media managers of the President say there is no aspect of the nation’s law that has been breached to attract any criticism or attacks on him.

Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, said those raising issues about the decision of Buhari not to hand over power to his vice should cite Sections of the Constitution which have been contravened.

Garba insisted that the decision of the President in the past, which saw him handing over to Osinbajo during his stay abroad, was out of convention but not by requirement of the law.

“He has not done anything wrong. If anyone has a penalty in line with the constitution, he should come up with it”, the spokesperson said.

“The President can give instruction anywhere even on air. If the President gives instruction outside the country to a Director to construct a road, do they mean that the staff member will disobey such an order?

“Section 145 states that ‘whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such functions shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President’.

“Those complaining just want to talk. They will continue to talk until the President returns next week.”

However, transmitting letter to the parliament and formal handover of the presidential powers to the Vice President is not the issue.

The point is that the President is like the soul and heart of the Aso Rock.

Yes, he has a competent and capable deputy, but his presence emits the aura of vivacity. Besides, most approvals are done with his physical presence and not through phone calls.

Besides, there is always bickering amongst some top members of the Presidency who do feel reluctant to take instruction outside the one from the President.

For the few days that Buhari has been away, there has been a lull in activities at the Villa and politicians who usually come around have stayed away.

For the second week running, the Friday Juma’at service is not spared as there was hardly any politician of note, including senators and ministers, who normally worship at the Aso Rock mosque, around obviously because Buhari is not in town.

Such politicians use the opportunity of Juma’at service to meet and discuss with the President because they don’t need to go through the formality of clearance with presidential aides.

Some of the staff and personal aides to the President also use his absence to attend to their personal affairs. In fact, the absence of Buhari is felt right from the car parks within the Villa.

Meanwhile, there are visible activities at the Vice President’s Wing. The activities mostly revolve around investors meeting with him as Osinbajo directly supervises the economy. The Vice President also presided over the two Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings that have taken place since the trip of the President although the two meetings held on Thursdays instead of the usual Wednesdays.

The President’s 10-day private visit to the UK ends this week.

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