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Resume or Resign!!! Charly Boy Leads Protest To Aso Villa Over President Buhari’s Health
By:AYOPOPULA |
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A coalition of
civil society groups which was lead by Charly Boy on Monday in Abuja
demanded the return of President Muhammadu Buhari from his medical leave
in the United Kingdom, the group insisted that he should resume in
office or resign.
But the
Presidency has described the call by the protesters for Buhari to return
to the country or resign as an irrational assault on the nation’s
constitution.
However, the
protesters asked the National Assembly to invoke Section 144 sub-section
4 of the Nigerian Constitution and set up a medical panel to determine
the President’s health status.
The convener
of the protest, Deji Adeyanju, regretted the failure of the National
Assembly to launch investigations or set up a panel to look into the
true status of Buhari’s health.
He alleged
that the lawmakers might have been compromised and “were working with
the cabal in the Presidency against the people.”
Adeyanju said,
“The leadership of the National Assembly must choose between the
Nigerian people and the cabal. Ninety days is too long for a president
to be away from his country without any explanation to the people that
voted him into office.
“If Buhari has
become incapacitated, he should do the honourable thing and resign
because he cannot continue to hold the country to ransom; his absence in
the country is being exploited by a cabal to loot the treasury.
“We hereby
demand that the National Assembly invoke Section 144 sub-section 4 of
the Nigerian Constitution and direct the setting up of a medical panel
in conjunction with the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to
ascertain whether the President is incapacitated or not,” he stated.
A leader of
the group and member of the Coalition in Defense of Nigerian Democracy
and Constitution, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, said the Federal Executive Council
should disclose to Nigerians the nature of Buhari’s illness.
He criticized the nation’s leaders for keeping silent over the absence of the
President for over two months, noting that their inaction was not good
enough.
“It is
unfortunate that the leaders of the country are keeping silent over the
absence of the President. The guardians of the nation are supposed to
speak up and set things right, but they have kept sealed lips and that
is why the youths are marching today to demand the return of Buhari or
the disclosure of the nature of his illness by the FEC,” Atoye stated.
Led by an
artist, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, the coalition
members defied an early morning showers and marched from the Unity
Fountain, Maitama to the Presidential Villa junction to demand the
return of the President to the country.
Armed
policemen and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps
provided security for the drenched protesters who were marching and
singing and dancing to the songs of the late Afro-beat king, Fela.
The protest
was spearheaded by the National Coordinator, Foundation For True Freedom
and Good Leadership, Deji Adeyanju; Publicity Secretary, #OurMumuDonDo
Movement, Adebayo Raphael; Convener, Coalition in Defence of Nigerian
Democracy and Constitution, Ariyo-Dare Atoye; and Secretary of Concerned
Nigerians, John Danfulani.
The movement had said it would continue with daily protests in Abuja and London to press for the return of the President.
But the Senior
Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu,
in a statement in Abuja, asked well-meaning members of the public to
ignore the protesters, who he said, had over-stepped their bounds.
The
Presidential spokesman said, “I wish to respond to media inquiries following demonstration by a few citizens this morning in Abuja. The
demonstration is in the exercise of their freedom under the
constitution, which guarantees their right to embark on peaceful
protests.
“So long as they remain peaceful, we have no problem with them. What is democracy if citizens can’t peacefully demonstrate?
“On the second
issue, demanding the President’s return, or resignation or certain
explanations, I would say that they have over-stepped their bounds.
“The President
has complied 100 per cent with the constitution by handing over power
to the Vice-President before proceeding on his vacation. He has not
breached any law or the constitution by staying away from office to take
care of his health.
“Equally,
there is nothing like a power vacuum in the country given the competence
and general harmony with which the whole government is running.
“Any such
calls as being made by this or any other group represents an irrational
assault on the constitution and should be ignored by well-meaning
members of the public.
“The need of
the hour for this country is to rid it of corruption, reform and
reinvigorate the economy and to fight crime and insurgency.
“The
government is busy with the reconstruction and rehabilitation of
infrastructure all over the country. It is creating jobs for the
unemployed. It has set its sight on the larger picture of the country’s
development; investing in rail and power projects and redeeming the
country’s image from the mountains of corruption scandals that have
marred it.
“We will not, therefore, be distracted by this or any other groups.”
Also, the
lawmaker representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani, in
a Facebook post on Monday, urged the protesters to drop their placards
and pick up their prayer books and pray for the ailing President.
The post read,
“…Those protesting for the President to resume or resign have the
constitutional and fundamental rights to do so. But the President had
properly handed over power to the Acting President before he travelled
on medical vacation.
“I fully
respect the rights of protesters to object but I appeal to them to step
down their placard and pick up a prayer book for our president. He has
given so much and sacrificed so much for our country, and this is the
time to stand by him when it’s telling on his health.
“For a man who
has given the better part of his life for our unity and for our
progress, it’s not much if we show him love, care and understanding in
his trying moments.”
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