There is palpable tension in the seat of Presidency as the National leader of All Progressives Congress and South West leaders of APC have remained silent on the issue and none of the leaders in the party had made any statement to condemn the call for resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari by the co-convener of Bring Back Our Girls campaign group Aishat Yesufu.
President Buhari travelled to United Kingdom two weeks ago to continue his treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
When he left, he transmitted a letter to the Senate President which read” In compliance with section 145 {1) of the 1999 constitution as amended, I wish to inform the distinguished Senate that I will be away for a scheduled medical follow-up with my doctors in London.
The length of my stay will be determined by the doctor’s advice. While I am away the vice president will coordinate the activities of the government.”
But Section 145 of the constitution reads: “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.”
In a statement by its Director of Research and Publicity, Comrade O’Seun John, the group accused the ‘cabal’ within the presidency of plotting to create confusion in the country.
A non-governmental organisation, Advocacy for Integrity and Economic Development (AIED) described the designation of Osinbajo as a coordinator as a desecration of the office of the president and a complete aberration.
In a statement yesterday by its Director of Research and Publicity, Comrade O’Seun John, the group accused the ‘cabal’ within the presidency of plotting to create confusion in the country by its continuous interference with the decision of the president.
Osinbajo was nominated for Vice-Presidency by Tinubu, however, Tinubu and other APC leaders in the Southwest did not make any comment on the issue and had not made any comment since President Buhari travelled out of the country.
Tinubu is also being rumoured to be nursing presidential ambition in 2019 and with enormous human and capital resources at his disposal, Nigerian NewsDirect learnt that cabals and kitchen cabinet were worried over his unusual silence.
However, in an exclusive interview with the Convener, Coalition of Northern Politicians, Academics, and Businessmen, Dr Junaid Muhammed, he described Tinubu and other APC southwest leaders’ silence as not golden.
“Their silence is making Nigerians to go through psychological trauma”. He urged leaders of the APC to come out and talk to Nigerians so that they will not be disgraced out of power like PDP.
However, a close aide of Tinubu who spoke on condition of anonymity said Tinubu was an elder statesman who would not make all his speeches public.
“Asiwaju (Tinubu) cannot just be making public statements but he will talk when it is absolutely necessary.
“If he talks, he will be accused of heating up the polity but now that he keeps quiet, they are afraid of his silence again, what do they want him to do now” he asked.
