A letter addressed to the 8th Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari has caused so much controversy due to the president’s choice of language.
President Buhari’s letter to the Senate to inform them of his medical trip to the UK was read on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, May 9.
However, We had earlier reported that there was observation from Senator Mao Ohuabunwa that the president did not properly transfer power to the vice president.
In the letter sent to the Senate, the president referred to the Vice President Osinbanjo as ‘coordinator’ which according to many, did not necessarily mean that Osinbajo has the power to act the role of President while Buhari continues his medical leave in UK.
See Photo below!!
Copy of President Buhari’s controversial letter to the Senate.
Ohuabunwa criticised the letter saying there was no position of coordinating president in the constitution and that Osinbajo should have been duly addressed as acting president.
Recall that We had earlier reported that President Buhari lleft Nigeria for UK on Sunday, May 7 on medical leave which he referred to in his letter as ‘Medical follow-up’.
This is not the first time President Buhari would leave the country on medical vacation. The president had earlier written to the Senate on January 19, for a medical trip that began on January 23 and was extended indefinitely.
He however returned to the country on March 10, 2017 after about 51 days in London.
We gathered some reactions of Nigerians to the controversial letter:
Meanwhile, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has waded into the controversy surrounding whether President Muhammadu Buhari duly handed over power to him when he left the country.
Osinbajo in an answer to a question on twitter confirmed that Buhari handed over power to him as acting president as specified by the constitution.