Buhari handed over to me, says Osinbajo
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has waded into the controversy spawned by the wording of President Muhammadu Buhari’s letter to the national assembly.
Responding to a question on the issue on Twitter, Osinbajo said the president did hand over power to him.
The president embarked on a medical trip to the UK on Sunday, and he transmitted a letter to the national assembly informing it of his absence.
In the letter read on the floor of the senate on Tuesday, Buhari said the vice-president would “coordinate the activities of the government” in his absence.
This was different from a letter the president sent to the national assembly when he embarked on a similar trip to the UK in January. At the time, he wrote that the vice-president would “perform the duties of my office” while he was away.
The wording of the president’s recent letter has generated much debate, with critics accusing Buhari of deliberately undermining his deputy.
Tweeting via @benamaigwo, one Bernard Amaiguo had asked: “Mr. vice president, why did Mr President refuse to hand over the affairs of the country to you?”
In his response, Osinbajo said the president did transfer power to him.
@ProfOsinbajo Mr. vice president, why did Mr. President refused to hand ✋ over d affairs of d country to u?
— Bernard Amaiguo (@benamaigwo) May 9, 2017
He did sir. He transmitted a letter to the Senate in compliance with S.145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). https://t.co/yo4Jjb6RF4
— Prof Yemi Osinbajo (@ProfOsinbajo) May 9, 2017
There is no controversy here. The President duly transferred power to the Vice President. Once the letter mentions the relevant section of the Constitution requiring the President to inform the National Assembly of his absence, any other words do not matter, whether Coordinating or Acting, its just semantics. The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is the Acting President. GbaM.