BEVERLY HILLS, February 10, (THEWILL) – In a culture where deputies are often treated like the proverbial ‘spare tyre’ and incumbents crudely maintain a tight grip on power, the recent transmission of power by President Muhammadu Buhari to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as Acting President, has brought to the fore, the condensed role of deputies in our democratic march.
President Buhari had last week unexpectedly proceeded on a medical vacation to the United Kingdom, and handed over the running of government to the Vice President. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the handover was procedurally done by transmitting a letter to the Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara. Adesina disclosed that the transfer of power was “in compliance with Section 145(1) of the Nigerian Constitution.”
Notwithstanding, Nigerian history is replete with several Constitutional breaches in this regard. Presidents and Governors, past and present, are traditionally in cold war with their deputies. A case in point was the eight-year tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who engaged Vice President Atiku Abubakar in protracted fracas. The mutual suspicion between them grew from cold war to open skirmish and mudslinging. It took the Supreme Court judgment to reinstate an embattled Atiku, whom Obasanjo had unilaterally declared his seat vacant.
Though sitting Presidents and Governors often travel for as long as two months on official and private assignments, it has been hard to isolate a situation where they officially handover to their deputies in accordance with the Constitution. Many chose to run the state from their vacations abroad, with the deputies taking instructions from them on daily basis.
Though there was no known altercation between former President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namandi Sambo, it was however a tale of woes among governors and deputies from across the nation.
THEWILL recalls that during the ill health of the late President Umar Yar’Adua, it took a battle of wits for Dr. Jonathan to be sworn-in as Acting President.
At the state level, it was motley of sagas except for some states like Cross River during the tenure of Liyel Imoke, who did transfer power at all times to his deputy whenever he was away on leave.
In Enugu State, former Governor Sullivan Chime engaged his deputy Sunday Onyebuchi in a dramatic frenzy, culminating in the latter’s impeachment. The picture was same in Taraba State, where ailing former Governor Danbaba Suntai and his deputy Garba Umar, were locked in a cat and mouse game.
THEWILL salutes the rare display of courage and tenacity by President Buhari. Transmitting power to Osinbajo has changed the tradition of cold war and has consequently elevated Buhari’s status as an apostle of change and respecter of the Constitution, which he swore to defend.
It is in line with this that we call on other elected officials, particularly Governors to follow the President’s example.
THEWILL further prescribes that States and National Assemblies must safeguard and ensure the activation of Section 145 (1) of the Constitution, which explicitly depicts how power is transmitted between the principal and deputy. This is the only way to ensure that deputies are allowed to perform their functions as enshrined in the statutes.
Buhari has set the pace and therefore, the bitter experiences of the past must not be allowed to continue.
