>
Supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari under the aegis of Buhari Campaign Organization on Monday inaugurated the south west office of the organization and appointed coordinators for the six states in the region.
This took place same day some other Nigerians marched through the streets in Abuja in heavy rain asking the President to resume if he is really fit to continue as President or resign if he woukd continue to stay in London for medical treatment.
“We are here today because the president of Nigeria has absconded from duty,” said Deji Adeyanju, one of the organisers.
“He has not only absconded, he has continued to lie to us. This year alone the president has been away for 144 days.
“He was away for 52 days in January and he has been away again today for 92 consecutive days. This cannot continue.”
READ: Aisha Buhari returns to London as “Resign or Resume” protests rock Abuja
President Buhari has been in the British capital for about 92 days now for medical treatment for an undisclosed ailment. Before traveling, he put Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in charge as Acting President.
His handlers have done everything to assure that he is fine and getting better. A dozen Nigerian leaders including the Acting President, All Progressives Congress leaders and state governors, after visits to London, have claimed that the President was doing fine and may return soon.
Speaking at the opening of the Buhari campaign office, National Coordinator of the Organization Alhaji Danladi Pasalli, said “the tremendous recovery of our dear President Muhammadu Buhari must be celebrated by giving glory to God and his subsequent coming back soon by the grace of God.
He said the BCO, while working in support of Buhari’s programmes, will also assist peasant farmers in getting direct loans from CBN and other farm imput.
In his remark,Alhaji Ahmed Ajibade an Ibadan high chief and a patron of the organization said the BCO will work to ensure Buhari’s victory in 2019, whether or not he is able to hit the campaign grounds.
He said: “We will not allow those who will suffer Nigerians to get to the throne, the masses will not allow them, everybody must rise in support of the president in his effort to transform Nigeria into a country of our dreams”.
But Adeyanju, leader of the “Resume or Resign” protest, in company of maverick musician, Charles Oputa aka Charly Boy, said Buhari should resign if has become incapacitated, because he cannot continue to hold the country to ransom. He said a group of few people in the government have taken advantage of the president’s ill health to loot the treasury with impunity.
He said: “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.
“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, Professor Yemi Osinbajo to ascertain whether the President is incapacitated”
The group vowed to continue with the daily sit- out irrespective of the intimidation from the police.
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, has said that the President has not breached any law of the country and would not resign.
Speaking to State House correspondents on Monday, he said the protesters were only exercising their rights:
He said: “They are exercising their rights in line with the Constitution of this country of what use or value is a democracy in which citizens cannot embark on peaceful protests. So we respect their right to convene or undertake peaceful protest.
“On the second issue whether the President should resign or disclose or whatever, I think they are stepping outside the laws of this country.
“Anyone conversant with the Constitution of this country will have noticed or seen that Mr President has complied 100 percent with the requirements of the Constitution of this country.
“He has handed over power to the Vice President relying on the Constitution and the Vice President is carrying out with the affairs of this country, he is undertaking activities of government in line with the Constitution in a way that the President himself has given words of commendation.
“So the President has not bridged any law. What he has done is perfectly in line with the Constitution of this country and people are looking for things to say, I think they should do their research very well”.