From Noah Ebije and Abdullahi Hassan, Kaduna
Former Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and Spokesman, Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Professor Ango Abdullahi has said politicians seeking to be vice president in the event that President Muhammadu Buhari vacates office on health grounds are not only evil but also mischievous.
In this interview with Sunday Sun, Professor Abdullahi added that those warming up for VP position are actually wishing Buhari dead instead of praying for his recovery, and reminded them that nobody lives forever on earth.
The NEF spokesman advised Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to work closely with the National Assembly for the progress and betterment of the country.
Sir, it’s believed that some northern governors are making moves to become VP in the event that the inevitable happens to Buhari. What’s your advice to such governors?
To start with, if you are talking about health status of the president, I’m not in any position to talk about it, because I’m not a medical doctor and even if I am, I am not his doctor, so I should not be in any position to tell you the health status of President Muhammadu Buhari beyond what he has told the nation.
Mr. President was honest enough to tell Nigerians that he was sick recently and even emphasized that he has never been so sick in his life. So, I think someone who’s so honest to say that about himself, should have been reasonably respected by all people who are also human beings that would be sick one day and will die one day.
So, President Buhari has done very well by keeping himself still available in terms of communicating and not keeping it to himself. He did not wait for his doctor to tell Nigerians, he said that I feel sick and I need medical help for the first time and came back for the second time. So, if I am sick, you don’t expect me to stay at home, rather I’m expected to be in hospital.
Coming to the fact that Buhari is the president of Nigeria and he is not feeling alright, the system provides that if the president for whatever reason cannot go out for two days or two weeks or two months, cannot discharge his responsibility, somebody should act in his position pending his return. That’s why the constitution of Nigeria provided for the position of vice president and the vice president is there to perform the function of the president in case the president for whatever reason is unavailable to discharge his responsibility. That is why President Buhari always communicates with the National Assembly whenever he is going out for medical checkup.
So, what else are we worrying about, I think anything that goes beyond reasoning is mischievous and ill motivated.
Now, people who are eager to be president whether governors or some others wish President Buhari dead. It’s as bad as that; wishing him dead so that somebody can become president and they can become vice president. Well, I don’t know their backgrounds. In my culture and religious background, I consider these people evil. If you wish somebody sick or dead, you’re inhuman and ill mannered. The question here is how many of them would be vice president as there is only one president and vice president, if their wish is realized? That’s why they’re evil.
What do you make of calls by some Nigerians that President Buhari should resign?
You see those who want Buhari to resign and those aspiring to become vice president are the same. They all wish President Buhari dead and have a common mission.
It’s obvious that the president’s illness has generated uncertainty about running affairs of the country especially among those in support of Northern power shift. How do you see this situation?
I see nothing uncertain about this. The present system of government provides for the election of the president from one part of the country and we had an election in 2015, where Buhari was elected president of Nigeria and he happens to come from Northern Nigeria; Katsina State precisely.
Considering our history, diversity and our differences, Buhari chose a vice president from the southern part of this country, a Yoruba man. So, the constitution is very clear. In the event the president is not there for whatever reason; whether incapacitated or dead, the vice president takes over. So, what’s uncertain about this?
Some have argued that his sickness has reached a stage where he cannot handle some major functions of governance, including attending FEC meetings. Don’t you see these as cogent reasons?
His absence at the Federal Executive Council is immaterial and has not prevented the executive council meeting from holding. The vice president presided over all Federal Executive Council meetings held in the president’s absence successfully. So, there’s nothing uncertain about incapacitation as some evil politicians say. You see, all these are politics of mischief and that’s what is ruining this country and the sooner these mischief-makers stopped their mischief the better for this country. Let me emphasize that this kind of mischief would not take this country to anywhere. Instead, it would plunge this country into more difficulty and serious confusion.
Prof, you said you belong to the Northern Elders Forum. What’s the position of the Northern Elders Forum on this issue?
Our position is just what I told you now that everything should be done in accordance with the rule of law. It’s as simple as that. We know the president is ill and he has gone for treatment. The vice president should perform the duties of the president. The constitution has provided the solution, hence there’s no uncertainty. So, we have to wait to see if the situation changes. Certain things have to change but we have not reached that point yet.
Do you see Buhari re-contesting or staying in power beyond 2019?
No, I can’t tell you that because I am not God and even his doctor would not be able to say the exact number of days Buhari has to live or needs to recuperate. Nobody can tell you this. The doctor is not the giver of life nor does he have power to take it. So, his re-contesting is subject to time and destiny of the nation. I’m confident that Buhari would get well and continue discharging his responsibility by the will of Allah.
How do you rate Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s performance at the moment especially in handling Nigeria’s economy?
Osinbajo is on board as acting president; your question suggests that Osinbajo is the president. There is no new president in Nigeria, Buhari is still the president of the country whether he is in London or America or anywhere, sick or on vacation. And there’s an acting president who’s supposed to discharge his functions according to the law.
If we are talking of economic policies that are not working, Buhari was here recently and these are things that we could tell him or make suggestions for him to implement that could put the nation on the right track and improve the economy of the country.
Some politicians say the economy has improved under Osinbajo as opposed to when Buhari was in charge. What’s your take on this?
You see, I think this is propagated by Southern politicians who want to portray that the economy is better managed by southerners. If that were correct, we would have mentioned Obasanjo’s administration. Everybody knows that Nigeria’s economy was bad when Obasanjo was president. This country was ruined when Jonathan was in charge. So, please let’s condemn these meaningless comments to where they belong. To me it’s all politics and they want to manipulate the system. For example, I read in the newspaper that the naira was bouncing back, because Osinbajo introduced new measures. That’s all politics of blackmail and this will not fly.
In the present circumstance of the country, what’s your advice to the political elite so that they do not plunge the country into chaos?
You see, those wishing good or evil for Buhari can continue doing that. Buhari’s life is not in their hands. It’s natural for every human being to fall sick. And if he has to die, he would die; nobody can stop that, because it’s the will of God. The question is why are these people being mischievous over the president’s health and Nigerian political system? This is something I have spoken about many times and I will repeat again that the political elite in this country are responsible for all the crises befalling this country and that is why Nigeria hasn’t made significant progress in the last 60 years. What I’m saying is that if this mischief continues, there would not be any progress. When some people talk about restructuring this country and they have this kind of mischief in their mindset, it would not fly. The North is ready to contend with anyone on any topic or aspect of development or underdevelopment of this country.
Do you have any words for the acting president?
I have no word for him, I know he is the acting president and I suppose he knows the constitution of the country very well about someone in the president’s position who’s ill; about what to do or what not to do with regards to dealing with the country according to the rule of law. If there is any advice I could give him, perhaps it’s for him to pay attention to and work very closely with the National Assembly.