Osinbajo and the perceived ‘Coordinating’ mandate
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari transmitted a letter of notice to the Senate for a medical vacation in the UK a moment ago. The letter which contained among other terms, ‘coordinating’ has been subjected to severe criticisms among the political class and the masses questioning the rationale behind the use of such term in place of ‘acting’ […]
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari transmitted a letter of notice to the Senate for a medical vacation in the UK a moment ago. The letter which contained among other terms, ‘coordinating’ has been subjected to severe criticisms among the political class and the masses questioning the rationale behind the use of such term in place of ‘acting’ as previously used during Buhari’s earlier vacation.
Emphatically, the enabling constitutional provision is clear on the matter. Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, provides; “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.”
Clearly, the above provision did not give the president powers to recommend, appoint or make his vice an Acting-President, instead, it simply gives an outline on how powers can be transmitted from the president to the vice on temporary basis, especially while indisposed to discharge duties temporarily. As a matter of fact, President Buhari needed not to inform or be at peace with his vice for the office of Acting-President to come on board. As long as a letter is transmitted pursuant to Section 145 supra, it is immaterial if the letter mentioned vice president or not, and will be automatically incumbent on the Senate to invoke or apply the constitutional provision as the office of the President makes no room for vacuum.
By implication, the president does not need to mention either ‘acting’ or ‘coordinating’ in his letter to the Senate as long as the letter clearly pointed to vacation or short-term unfitness. The constitution is supreme.
Incontrovertibly, the Senate knows that the legitimate step is to declare Professor Yemi Osinbajo as Acting-President pending when counter-correspondence is received from the president on his readiness to resume duties. Professor Osinbajo can only do mere ‘coordination’ if no correspondence was sent to the Senate on the medical trip.
The hullaballoo is therefore uncalled for, and reduces the architects as mischief makers. Nigeria as a nation should face important issues that would bring substantial dividends of democracy to the people. The unprecedented discoveries recently of public funds in billions of naira, dollars, pounds inside pits, septic tanks, uncompleted buildings, serviced-flats, locked-up shops and others amidst of economic recession in a society most average families and pensioners are facing hell meant nothing to the critics. The sole target of these detractors is to plant seeds of discord between President Buhari and Acting-President, Osinbajo whose working relationship since inauguration has remained cordial, exemplary and brotherly despite religious differences, ethnicity and careers. However, they will not succeed. President Buhari and Prof Osinbajo will complete the missions Nigerians entrusted to them.
The challenges facing the nation are enormous, and therefore unacceptable for the red chamber to concentrate on such irrelevancies. There are numerous executive bills awaiting legislative processes, as well as other relevant sensitive issues to address towards improving the standard of living of the citizenry and governance. The uproar is a futile exercise. Thus, there is no space for unnecessary distractions.
Umegboro writes from Abuja