Amid crisscrossing the globe, Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, has pinned down his estranged Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, and made him redundant, multiple sources at the Aso Rock villa told SaharaReporters.
According to the sources, Osinbajo was to attend two business forums in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Vietnam but Buhari refused to approve the trips.
It was gathered that the duo had been in strained relations in the last few months.
Buhari who is expected to visit South Korea and the United Kingdom in October is known for travelling out of the country without transferring power to his deputy on an interim basis as constitutionally expected.
“President Muhamnadu Buhari is scheduled to depart Abuja for Seoul, South Korea on a 5 days official visit to the Asian Country,” a source had told SaharaReporters.
“From Seoul, Buhari will proceed to London where he is scheduled to undergo a medical procedure at the Royal Brompton Hospital situated at Sydney St, London SW3 6NP, between 1 and 2 November 2022.”
The Nigerian constitution provides that when the President is going on vacation or is unable to discharge the functions of his office, he will notify the National Assembly and temporarily transfer power to his deputy.
“WHENEVER the President is proceeding on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, he SHALL transmit a written declaration to the president of the Senate and the speaker of the house of representatives to that effect, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, the Vice-President shall perform the functions of the President as Acting President,” Section 145(1)(2) of the Nigerian Constitution states.
In the early period of Buhari’s administration, the President used to notify the National Assembly of such trips and temporarily hand over power to Osinbajo.
In June 2016, Buhari wrote to the National Assembly, notifying them of a 10-day medical trip to London, and temporarily transferring power to to his vice.
However, the last time the President handed over to his deputy while embarking on personal (medical) trips was in 2018.
Speaking to SaharaReporters on Friday, a source said the relationship between the duo became frosty following the APC presidential primaries where Buhari bluntly refused to support Osinbajo.
“Guess what, Buhari would be traveling again later in the month without handing over presidential power to Osinbajo,” the source said.
“Recently, the Vice President was to attend 2 business forums in Jakarta Indonesia, and Vietnam but the President refused to approve the trips. The President equally refused to approve for the Vice President to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP27) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in November 2022.
“Instead, the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, was given the nod to lead the delegation. The relationship between the President and his deputy became frosty following the APC Presidential primaries where the President bluntly refused to support his loyal deputy for 7 years. He has also been fingered as the brain behind the initial exclusion of Osinbajo in the APC Presidential Campaign team.”
Sahara Reporters
