By Winifred Bulus
Kaduna (Nigeria) — President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria is proceeding on 10 day medical leave, from 23rd January to 6th of January.
This is coming few days after Buhari deployed 800 military troops to Gambia to force Yahya Jammeh to hand over power to Adama Barrow
In a letter to the Senate, Buhari says, “In compliance with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 constitution as amended, I wish to inform the Distinguished Senate that I will be away in a short medical vacation from Monday January, 23 to February 6th, 2017 and while I am away, the Vice President (Osinbajo) will perform the functions of my office. Please, accept, as always assurances of my highest esteemed consideration.”
Last year, Mr. Buhari wrote a similar letter to the Senate requesting to proceed on medical leave between 6th-16th of June, 2016.
Meanwhile, moves though rejected, had been made against the President for deploying troops to Gambia, violating section 5(4b) of the 1999 constitution as amended, which authorizes the President to seek the National Assembly’s approval before he can deploy any troop outside of the country.
Nelson Ekong, one of the Senators who objected to the President was accused of being biased as a result of internal issues posed by party difference.