Buhari clearly said he didn’t know when he would return – Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has advised the Resume or Resign protesters under the aegis of ‘Our Mumu Don Do’ to channel their energy into more productive ventures that could be of benefit to the nation, rather than wasting their strength on protests.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed speaking with Independent said the President did not know when he would return and made it clear when he asked the National Assembly for indefinite leave. Mohammed said all that was done in relation to the medical vacation and handover to his deputy was in line with the constitution.

“Our position has always been very straightforward on this matter. The president went on medical vacation.

“Not only did he tell the country he was going for medical treatment, he also did the right thing according to the constitution by writing a letter to the National Assembly informing the lawmakers that he is leaving for treatment and while he is away, the vice president will be acting in his place.

“He also said that the length of his stay will be determined by his doctors. So clearly, nobody can accuse him of overstaying because he made it clear that he is going on indefinite vacation and his doctors will tell him when it is over.

“So, there is no constitutional provision that says if the president is ill or on medical treatment for six months or more, he must resign. The president is mentally and physically okay; he is not in any way incapacitated”, Mohammed said.

According to him, “The vice president, who is now the acting president, consults with him regularly, government is running very smoothly and one begins to wonder the reason for protests and clamour that he must resign. This is a very popular president who won with a large mandate. Nobody is as anxious as the president to come back.

“This is a president who is very passionate and committed to the country, therefore he is even more anxious than many of us to come back and complete his works.

“When people now go on the streets and say he must resign, on what basis? What legal or constitutional basis was that demand based? And they should tell us anywhere in the world where a president who is still alive, who is not incapacitated but took ill resigned from office”.