Nigerian Senate has officially endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari’s
prolonged stay in the United Kingdom where has has been on medical
vacation since May.
In a statement signed by its spokesman, Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Senate cautioned the sponsors and participants in the protests by a coalition of civil society organizations under the aegis of #OurMumuDonDo, to stop heating up the polity with their unreasonable demands.
The group, dispersed on Tuesday by the Police, is demanding that
Buhari resumes office or resigns if incapable of continuing his duties
as president of Nigeria.
But Senate said the protesters were only creating unnecessary tension
in the country and seeking to divert the attention of the Presidency
from the economic and security issues which are being tackled with
vigour.
The Senate noted that President Buhari had complied with the
provisions of the nation’s grundnorm, the Constitution, which stipulated
that he must handover to the Vice President and duly inform the two
chambers of the legislature about his medical vacation.
The statement added: “The President has broken no law and therefore
we do not see any justification for this diversion and noise making. The
sponsors are merely seeking cheap publicity at the expense of the peace
of Nigeria.
“We, in the National Assembly, are satisfied that there is no vacuum.
The Federal Government is working. Acting President Yemi Osinbajo is
providing the required leadership. So, there is no reason for the
protests.
“All Nigerians now should focus on praying for the safe return of the
President. We in the Senate are happy about the report by the Governors
and party leaders who recently visited President Buhari in London and
we know he will soon return to continue to provide leadership to our
people and the rest of Africa.
“We therefore call on the protesters to stop all these demonstrations
and let their sense of patriotism overshadow the zeal for activism by
joining other Nigerians to pray for the President, the acting President
and Nigeria as a country at this critical period”.