The Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu, on Tuesday explained why Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo did not take over the mantle of leadership from his principal.
Shehu emphasised that President Muhammadu Buhari’s trip to London for medical checks does not warrant transmitting power to his deputy since he was staying for just two weeks.
He also berated naysayers over insinuations that his principal embarked on emergency medical trip to the UK.
Speaking on a live programme on Channels Television, ‘Politics Today’, Garba said: “Before he left, he just finished a meeting with security chiefs. He had excellent chat with the vice president, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Chief of Staff, so he has taken it all around.”
“If it is warranted that he signs documents, these are transmissible by wire, the internet is there and the president is equally internet savvy, therefore, work can continue without any obstruction from whichever location he is. He will continue from wherever he is.
“The requirement of the law is if the President is going to be absent for 21days or more, then the transmission is warranted. So in this particular case, the president is staying for only two weeks.”
On the trip, he said: “It is a medical trip, and there is absolutely no urgency or emergency. The president is not in any sick condition. It’s a routine medical checkup. The president has overtaken this with a set of doctors that he has known over many years.
“He has done this before he came into office in 2015 and has continued to do that without any disruption. For last year, 2020, he couldn’t make it because of travel restriction that was caused by COVID-19. It’s a routine and we are hoping that the president comes back after the check up.”
Asked if doctors visited the President during the lockdown in 2020, Shehu said: “The President enjoyed good round of health. When his classmates come visiting, you will know that the President is doing well. He chose this moment because it’s like a holiday season as Friday is a national holiday, so he’s taking advantage of the Easter season.”
Asked if the President would take the second jab of COVID-19 vaccine in the UK, Shehu said the President would have returned before then.
