Chidi Samuel || Ailing President Muhammadu Buhari received a reprieve on Tuesday over his continued medical vacation abroad as the upper house of the legislature said the President has not broken any law by not returning to the country after 90 days.
The Senate reaction was apparently in response to the protest in Abuja in the last two days and calls by opposition party members for the President to resign from office over his inability to return to Nigeria.
In a statement by Aliyu Abdullahi, its spokesman, the upper chamber of the legislature said that President Buhari complied with the provisions of the Constitution before he left the country in May and therefore advised those protesting against the President to stop over heating the polity.
“The president has broken no law and therefore we do not see any justification for this diversion and noise-making. The sponsors are merely seeking cheap publicity at the expense of the peace of Nigeria,” he said.
“We, in the National Assembly, are satisfied that there is no vacuum. The Federal Government is working. Acting President Yemi Osinbajo is providing the required leadership. So, there is no reason for the protests.
“All Nigerians now should focus on praying for the safe return of the President.
“We in the Senate are happy about the report by the governors and party leaders, who recently visited President Buhari in London and we know he will soon return to continue to provide leadership to our people and the rest of Africa.
“We, therefore, call on the protesters to stop all these demonstrations and let their sense of patriotism overshadow the zeal for activism by joining other Nigerians to pray for the president.
“We should also pray for the acting president and Nigeria as a country at this critical period,” he said.
The Presidency had earlier in the week while responding to the protest stated that the President did not break any law by traveling out of the country on medical vacation.
Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, therefore, insisted that President Buhari will not resign.