•Why Presidency, APC see comparison between duo as mischief
By Onyedika Agbedo
ALTHOUGH President Muhammadu Buhari had gone on vacation twice since his inauguration on May 29, 2015, never had his absence from the seat of power generated the level of controversy and anxiety that have come with his current trip. Meanwhile, each time the President went on leave, he temporarily handed over power to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in compliance with Section 145 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution. The first time was on February 5, 2016 when the President embarked on a five-day vacation; and the second was in June 6, 2016 when he travelled to the United Kingdom for 10 days to attend to an ear infection. This time, which has become his longest so far, he also ensured that he applied himself to the provisions of the constitution before jetting out on January 19. And when it became obvious to him that he would not resume work on February 6 as noted in his earlier letter to the National Assembly (NASS), he quickly forwarded another letter to the senate, informing it of his desire to extend his leave. In the extension letter, which Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, read out during Senate plenary on Tuesday, February 21, the President said: “During my leave, I took the opportunity to have routine check-ups and consult my long standing doctors in London. In the course of the routine examination, certain test results indicated the need for a course of medication and further appointments have been scheduled for next week. I am, therefore, notifying the Distinguished Senate that I am extending my leave until the doctors are satisfied that certain factors are ruled out. In the circumstance, the Vice President will continue to act on my behalf.”
Buhari’s deference to the constitution has seen Osinbajo pilot the affairs of the country in the last 45 days, which has no doubt saved Nigerians from once again passing through the harrowing experience of 2009 under the late president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. It could be recalled that Yar’Adua left Nigeria on November 23, 2009, and was reported to be receiving treatment for pericarditis at a clinic in Saudi Arabia. His absence created a power vacuum in Nigeria as he did not hand over power to the then vice president Goodluck Jonathan. However, the power vacuum existed, in spite of agitations against the action from across the country, until February 9, 2010 when the Senate controversially used the “doctrine of necessity” to transfer presidential powers to Jonathan and declared him Acting President until Yar’Adua’s health is restored. The Senate’s intervention triggered further political intrigues and subterfuge in the presidency, which persisted until Yar’Adua eventually died on May 5, 2010.
It is against this backdrop that many Nigerians believe that the apprehension and controversy trailing the health of the president is uncalled for, with Osinbajo already exercising full presidential powers. To former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, no one has the freewill to ask questions about the health of the President as it is a private matter. Attah, who spoke recently, said: “Why should anybody debate the president’s health? The president said he was going for vacation and medical checkup and people are talking. What should anyone be debating about that? Are they his doctors? What rights do they have to this? Until it is established otherwise, I do not see why anybody should involve himself in such debates.”
Former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, also recently took a swipe at critics of Buhari over the controversy surrounding his medical vacation to the United Kingdom, saying: “I have had course to travel outside Nigeria for a comprehensive medical check when I was in doubt. And the experience of Gani Fawehimi shows that if ordinary Nigerian labourers, medical doctors find cause to go and do what we call routine physical check, why would anybody make it such a big issue that any Nigerian, including our president, is exercising his right for a thorough check.”
Meanwhile, as the President enjoys his extended vacation, the country has been witnessing progress in several facets of national life to the delight of Nigerians. This, to many, is as a result of Osinbajo’s grasp of governance issues. Those who hold the view quickly point out that under his watch, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has given approval for the reconstruction of several roads in the country that would collectively cost about N147 billion. They also note that he chaired the FEC meeting of February 1, during which the Presidential Task Force on food security was mandated to reduce prices of food items in the country. Other achievements credited to Osinbajo include his visit to Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital, between February 10 and 13, in continuation of his interactive engagements with oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta region. He later visited Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to meet stakeholders of the oil producing communities there, where he assured the people of government’s commitment to the development of the region and ordered contractors who had abandoned project sites after collection of funds to return to site or face prosecution. Osinbajo has also signed seven bills into law within the period he has been holding forth for the president. These bills included the Oaths (Amendment) Act 2017; Defence Space Administration Act 2017; and Veterinary Surgeons (Amendment) Act 2017, among others. Also under his watch, the name of the new Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Walter Onnoghen, was forwarded to the Senate and he was confirmed in spite of the controversy that had surrounded his appointment. The nation’s currency, naira, has also made an appreciable gain in the foreign exchange market in the last few days after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) adjusted the foreign exchange policy, although financial analysts believe the gain was recorded as a result of the recent build up of Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves amid increased crude oil revenues and financial accountability.
Commenting on the development, former special assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on new media, Remo Omokri, in a recent article, said: “His approach to the Niger Delta challenge is an approach of intelligence and diplomacy and will achieve far more than President Buhari’s shock and awe approach! The man approached the region with compassion and understanding, not with threats and bluster as his boss did when he had the chance. He physically visited and toured the region whereas his principal made promises to visit but chickened out when the time came to implement his promises. Prof. Osinbajo spoke kindly and respectfully to the governors of the region and praised them for their efforts, even giving one of them the pet name, ‘Mr. Projects’. Is it any surprise then that oil production has continued to rise and militancy has waned in the period that Vice President Osinbajo has been acting? The man speaks to Nigerians as a leader should. He does not talk at us like the President.”
Speaking with Sunday Sun on the issue, former presidential candidate of the Citizens Popular Party (CPP), Chief Maxi Okwu, commended the president for observing the provisions of the constitution while on his vacation, but noted that Nigerians gave their mandate to Buhari and not Osinbajo. He said: “So far, the provision of the constitution has been observed unlike during the Yar’Adua/Jonathan era. Having said so, the mandate of the 2015 election was given to Buhari; Osinbajo was just his running mate in case of any eventuality that makes the president to be absent like he is now. So, his absence has denied Nigerians the fulfillment of the mandate they gave to him. But somehow, it appears as if it is fortuitous because comparatively speaking, one month of Osinbajo is better than Buhari’s 20 months in terms of perception, and politics is all about perception. Osinbajo’s body language is better than Buhari’s. I disagree with those saying that Osinbajo is implementing the All Progressives Congress (APC) manifesto. They have abandoned all the promises they made to Nigerians, so there is no manifesto being implemented. It is a matter of personal touch to governance. It appears Osinbajo has a better attitude to governance than Buhari.
“Let’s take the example of the appointment and confirmation of the new Chief Justice of the Federation (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen. Why did it take the President so long to forward his name to the Senate? You see, it’s a matter of approach. Look at the issue of the boards; many of them are still filled by PDP members and APC members are crying. The issue is that you don’t sit on government; you perform. And it appears Buhari was sitting on government.”
The presidency, however, sees the comparison between Buhari and Osinbajo as the handiwork of mischief makers. The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, who spoke with State House correspondents on the issue last Monday, said it was wrong for anybody to be claiming that Osinbajo had been performing better than Buhari since the President started his extended medical vacation. According Ojudu, Osinbajo “still consults with Buhari on major national issues” on a regular basis.
Ojudu said: “The same people who said we never had economic team, no policy, nothing, are the ones saying this. It is now that the policies we are implementing are maturing and they are seeing the result. It is not a question of one person being better than the other person. There is nothing that has been done since the Vice-President started acting that is not something that started far back in the past. A good example is the Niger Delta initiative.
“The President called the Vice-President and said ‘I am giving you the mandate, go into the Niger Delta and meet with everyone who is a stakeholder, all the communities, talk to the militants and make sure you solve this problem for the benefits of Nigerians.’ We are losing 1.2 million barrels of oil per day; all the gas pipelines powering the turbines are being blown up. And the President has said unless and until we resolve this problem we will not get out of recession. The VP took up the mandate and went to the Niger Delta; it is the initiative of Mr. President not that of the Vice-President. These are mischief makers, those who do not wish this country well, who are always promoting crisis, who will not allow the people to benefit from this democracy. They are the ones promoting this kind of divisive tendencies.”
Speaking in the same vein, the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) and chieftain of the APC, Mr Osita Okechukwu, said those comparing Buhari and Osinbajo’s performance were either ignorant of the working of government or agents of mischief. He noted: “For me, those who are crafting dichotomy between President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo are either wallowing in sheer ignorance or sheer mischief because both share the same presidential ticket, same party platform and same ideological spectrum of social democracy, which culminates into our banner of progressivism.
“The Social Investment Programme being advanced by Osinbajo is part and parcel of the manifesto of our great party, the APC, just like the Niger Delta peace mission, which President Buhari spear-headed with the clean up of Ogoniland. So, what are they talking about?
“It amuses me when some eminent intellectuals deliberately sweep the truism that Buhari comes from the Aminu Kano progressive tendency of the defunct Northern region, just like Osinbajo comes from the Obafemi Awolowo progressive tendency of the defunct Western region, under the carpet. They came from the same stock.
“The fact is that Osinbajo has Buhari’s trust and confidence, which makes seamless Buhari’s nod in some of the issues being cited by traducers. For instance, one cannot imagine Osinbajo taking Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen’s name to the Senate for confirmation without clearance from Mr. President. More so, when Buhari is not as bedridden as imagined by some people.”
Nevertheless, what some Nigerians perceive as weakness on the part of President Buhari might just be his style of governance given his antecedents. During his first shot at the presidency as military Head of State from December 31, 1983 to August 27, 1985, he showed enormous disposition towards delegating power to his deputy. Then, Major General Tunde Idiagbon, who was Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters (de facto vice president) was virtually the face of the Buhari junta. He was responsible for announcing and implementing many of the government’s major policies. These included the War Against Indiscipline, which was in five phases, currency change and currency exchange rate policy, import substitution industrialisation policy and Go Back to Land Programme. In foreign policy matters, he was in control of the border closure and expulsion of illegal immigrants. He also participated in diplomatic activities. On behalf of the military government, for instance, he signed credit line and educational cooperation agreements with a visiting Bulgarian delegation led by Prime Minister Grisha Filipov in 1984.
As an elected president, Buhari’s relationship with Osinbajo has been cordially complementary. This is exemplified in the fact that even before his current vacation, Osinbajo had represented him in many functions across the country. For instance, Osinbajo stood in for Buhari in May 2016 to commission some projects executed by the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode administration, and also went to Ogoni, Rivers State to flag-off the clean up of Ogoniland in June 2016. Why his current exposure to presidential powers is stirring controversy can only be revealed in the course of time.