By Lukman Olabiyi and Romanus Okoye
Constitution and rights activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) to tell Nigerians the state of his health.
Ozekhome was reacting to the inability of the President to return to Nigeria from the UK, where he had been on holiday for more than 10 days.
The senior lawyer’s reaction was contained in a press statement titled: “Legal and Political implications of president Buhari ‘s continued stay abroad”, issued yesterday.
Ozekhome said the president needs to address the nation on the state of his health because he belongs to the country.
“For crying out loud, let PMB address the nation physically on Skype. Let us see him. He is president of Nigeria, father of the nation.
“He belongs to Nigeria. He lost his anonymity and individuality the day he was voted into office as president and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The only privacy he has is in his wife’s kitchen, his sitting room and the other room.”
On the political implications of president Buhari extending his medical vacation abroad, Ozekhome noted that “it keeps the nation on ethno-religious tenterhooks,dangerous precipice,uncomfortable tension, anxiety and a dark pall on government and governance.
“It reminds one of the dark better forgotten days of the (late president Umaru Musa)Yar’dua brouhaha when what late Dora Akunyilu described as “the cabal” unceremoniously seized the reins of government and held the nation to unspeakable ransom.
“God forbid a repetition of history. God forbid us behaving like the Bourbons of European history who learnt nothing and forgot nothing”.”
On the legal implications, he said: “It is constitionally provided that once the president transmits his absence or inability to act to the National Assembly, then, the Vice President acts in his place.
This means that Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo takes full control of governance and government apparatus, thus leaving no vacuum in governance. He acts till the president returns to Nigeria.”