Presidency lobbies N’Assembly over Buhari’s ‘medical’ vacation

Indications have emerged that some members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s kitchen cabinet, have initiated moves to lobby federal lawmakers to stay action against any possible gang up to move against President Muhammadu Buhari.

They have reportedly reached out to the 109 Senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives with financial gifts, as part of efforts to frustrate any possible move against the president who is still outside the country on medical grounds.

Ripples Nigeria authoritatively gathered from multiple sources that as part of the moves, the kitchen cabinet members or otherwise known as Cabal members, have approved mouth-watering sums for Senators and Rep members.

As at the time of filing in this report, it was learnt that the money which is discreetly being handled, is still being disbursed to members.

Some members, it was learnt, are suspicious of the cash offer and have declined to accept it. According to them, it is a setup by the presidency, which they said will be later used against them.

A ranking member of the Senate, who hails from the North East, is said to be ‘midwifing’ the arrangement between the National Assembly and the presidency.

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Some lawmakers already approached to confirm or deny the claims, have pleaded not to be linked to the exercise. They said by linking their names to the deal, their reelection chances in 2019 could be hampered.

But confirming it to our correspondent, a Director-General of a Federal Government’s agency who hails from the South East and was a spokesman of an opposition party until the 2015 general elections, said the cash disbursement is true.

The DG who is a passive member of President Buhari’s kitchen cabinet, informed our correspondent that he is aware of monies being distributed to lawmakers, but declined to confirm the particular amount involved.

He refused to give further details and does not want to be openly linked to the arrangement.

In January, Buhari formally wrote to the National Assembly, informing of his plan to embark on a 10-day working leave to the United Kingdom (UK).

The president is currently in the UK, and said to be awaiting results of his medical test. He was billed to return to the country few days ago, but deferred it to a yet-to-be announced date.

The move by the cabal is seen as a plot to forestall any action reminiscent of the situation that played out some years ago when on February 9, 2010, the National Assembly passed a resolution making the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan the Acting President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Both chambers of the National Assembly passed the resolution after President Umaru Yar’Adua, who for 78 days was in Saudi Arabia receiving medical treatment, refused to formally empower the vice president to exercise full powers as acting president, as provided for in Section 145 of the country’s constitution.

Though analysts contend that the two situations are dissimilar, they however agree that the lawmakers can, and may move against Buhari if his absence from office becomes too long for comfort.

 

 

 

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