President Buhari has been away from Nigeria for 50 days
- President Muhammadu Buhari's medical vacation is still a trending topic in Nigeria
- There is still no date for the president's retun as at the time of writing this report
- Today, March 9 makes it 50 days that the president has been away from the country
Legit.ng checks reveals that President Muhammadu Buhari has now spent 50 days in the United Kingdom as at Thursday, March 9.
President Buhari has been in London since January 19. The presidency had first announced that he was there for a 10-day leave. But he has since extended the leave on medical grounds.
It should be noted that President Buhari has not breached any constitutional provision so far, as he handed over to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to act on his behalf while he is away.
Human rights activist and lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa said Buhari can stay away from office for 60 days because he is entitled to it.
According to Adegboruwa, the president is entitled to 60 days annual leave from 2015 to 2016, adding that if he has not exhausted this leave prior to this time, he is entitled to his annual vacation.
He however added that “If the illness of the president is of such a nature as to make it impossible for him to perform the functions of his office, then there cannot be a vacuum in that office. The fact that there is an Acting president will not suffice.”
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Nigerians have been kept in the dark as to the nature of Buhari's illness, with his aides insisting that the president is hale and hearty.
The president has however kept in touch with Nigeria since he departed the shores of the country.
He has received senior members of his party, the All Progressives Congress, principal officers of the National Assembly, his loyalists and some members of his family.
President Buhari has also called some prominent Nigerians at different times from London to either felicitate with them or condone with them.
Similarly, the president has spoken with United States of America president, Donald Trump and received a call from African Union president, Alpha Conde who is also the president of Guinea.
Some Nigerians have likened the present situation to that of Late President Umaru Musa Yar'adua who died in office in 2010 after his close associates kept his illness secret.
But the minister of information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said that the comparison being made about Buhari and late Yar’Adua was baseless as there were no similarities.
He described the comparison as akin to comparing apple and oranges and said the situations were different.
The National Assembly had at the time invoked the ‘doctrine of necessity’ to empower then vice president, Goodluck Jonathan to act as president following the illness of late President Umaru Yar’Adua.
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Meanwhile, while the mainstream media in Nigeria has carried on with its duties without making an efforts to unravel Buhari's sickness, the international media has beamed its searchlight on Nigeria in the past few weeks.
Popular international business website, CNBC in an article published on Sunday, March 5 described Nigeria as a major oil producer and African economic powerhouse whose economy appears to be as stricken as its ailing leader.
A report by Reuters indicates that President Buhari’s absence has energised an otherwise slow and static presidency.
British weekly magazine, The Economist stated that Nigeria’s best chance of reform in the short run is for Buhari to stay longer in London.
On its part, the BBC compared President Buhari’s absence in Nigeria to the filming of reality show, Big Brother Naija in South Africa.
While we pray that President Buhari returns to the country hale and hearty to continue his job as Nigeria's number one citizen, we can only hope he doesn't spend another 50 days in London.
Source: Legit.ng
