Despite declaring that the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), is in charge of Nigerian affairs during his medical trip to the United Kingdom, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd. ), did not officially notify the National Assembly of any transfer of power.
The presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives did not read any communication from the President regarding the transmission of power on Tuesday, the first plenary day after Buhari embarked on the trip.
When asked if there had been a communication from the Presidency to the National Assembly about Buhari’s trip, an official from one of the liaison offices who did not want to be identified said there was no official communication.
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On Sunday, the President stated that Osinbajo would be in charge while he is in London for a two-week routine medical check-up.
Buhari made the remarks shortly before his plane, Nigeria Air Force 1, took off from the Presidential Wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja at around 2 p.m. on Sunday.
When asked if his absence would have any effect on state functions, he replied, “Well…
I cannot claim to be working alone. The government is completely represented. The Vice-President has arrived. When I am not present, he is constitutionally in charge. The Federation’s Secretary to the Government (Boss Mustapha) and the President’s Chief of Staff (Ibrahim Gambari) are also present. So there’s no issue.”
Meanwhile, Section 145(1) of the 1999 Constitution states that ‘Whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the Vice
Since Buhari and Osinbajo took office on May 29, 2015, the President has officially transferred power to the Vice-President three times.
When Buhari went on a five-day vacation in February 2016, he delegated power to the Vice-President.
When the President traveled to London in June 2016 to treat an illness, he did the same thing.
Buhari wrote to the National Assembly in January 2017 to notify the federal parliament of his 10-day leave and transfer of power to the Vice-President.
The President was on leave from January 23 to February 6, a total of ten working days.
