TheCable

Civil society groups under Organisations for Good Governance say no individual can “force President Muhammadu Buhari out of power”.

In a statement on Saturday, the group said since the president has not told anybody that he is unfit to lead, no one could ask him to step down.

It described the calls for Buhari to embark on a medical leave as equivalent to a civilian coup attempt.

The group said the call for the president to resign was a distraction.

“In the past days, several notable persons have breached decorum to make demands that have no anchor in the Nigerian constitution like asking the president to take a medical leave,” read a statement signed by Steven Onwu, chairman of the group, and Joyce Adamu, its secretary., on behalf of the group,the statement by the group read.

“These calls are equivalent of civilian coup attempts since they are aimed at forcing President Buhari out of office over ill health that can befall anyone.

“The people making the demands based such on hearsay and rumours. In the same space of time that wicked rumours are flying around, wife of the President Mrs. Aisha Buhari declared that the severity of her husband’s health was being blown out of proportion.

“Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele briefed the President on the apex bank’s currency management and relayed how the Forex stability excited President Buhari. Such brief could only have been presented to a lucid and healthy person.

“There is also no iota of constitutional crisis so far created by the ill health of the president as being propounded by some critics.”

The coalition further called on Nigerians to pray for Buhari’s quick recovery.

“We also want to caution those spreading falsehood to desist from such especially in view of the negative consequences their action can have on citizens’ morale nationwide,” it said.

“Reactions based on this falsehood, like pressuring the president to proceed on medical leave, must be discontinued. Nigerians should only respond base on facts as conjectures would only complicate things for the country.”