DECLARE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT VACANT, ADEGBORUWA URGES SENATE

A Lagos-based lawyer and activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa has urged the Nigerian Senate to declare the office of President Muhammadu Buhari vacant and constitute a medical panel of experts to examine the health status of the President in order to determine if he can still continue to function in office.

In a statement to newsmen on Tuesday, Adegboruwa explained that since he got to know about the president’s ill-health, he had changed his views concerning his government, saying “We are all human after all, and no one can play God or rejoice over another man on account of his ill-health.”

The lawyer argued that on the account of the president’s ill-health, he had not been performing his official duties.

“Even though the President is human, the Constitution anticipates a fit and proper chief executive, to be in charge of and run the affairs of Nigeria, which General Buhari cannot presently fulfil,” Adegboruwa said.

According to him, the option before Nigeria presently is for the Senate to declare the office of the Preside vacant, adding that in the meantime, the Vice-President should be sworn-in as Acting President.

“We cannot continue in this fashion whereby a cabal has taken over the affairs of Nigeria, causing great panic in the land, purely for their own selfish ends. Enough is enough!” the human right lawyer said.

He faulted the position of some activists who called on the president to go on medical vacation, saying that cannot be an option for the country.

“Where on earth did the activists meet with the President, to know that he is sick and deserves a medical vacation? Have any of them been privy to know his health status? Just yesterday, Nigerians were being insulted by the aides of the President that he is so fit and healthy that he will contest and win the 2019 election, when I know that there are ministers and aides who have never ever spent as much as 20 minutes with the President, since they were appointed,” Adegboruwa added.

He said the country does not need to wait for the Yar'adua scenario before “we take steps to save the President from himself and his handlers.”

“I do sympathize with the President but that sympathy is dwindling daily on account of the President's quest to hold on to power at all costs, even when it is manifestly clear that he is not fit to do so,” he said.