The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, has dismissed an article by a Nigerian historian, Max Siollun, entitled “The Gentleman’s Agreement that Could Break Apart Nigeria”.
The article was published in the United States-based Foreign Policy magazine.
The piece speculates that Nigeria faces imminent political and constitutional crisis on account of President Muhammadu Buhari’s absence to attend to his health in London.
Reacting to what he called “needlessly sensational and exaggerated speculations by conspiracy theorists”, the Presidential aide explained that it is misleading to compare President Buhari’s case to that of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, adding that the circumstances are completely different.
According to Graba, unlike President Yar’Adua, President Buhari has duly complied with the constitutional requirements by formally notifying the National Assembly of his intention to go for medical treatment and handing over to Yemi Osinbajo as Acting President.
“While Yar’Adua was too severely ill to transmit a letter formally to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, President Buhari is not in such medical state, and therefore, the country is not currently facing any complications on account of his absence,” Malam Shehu explained.
