A group of lawyers and some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria has issued an ultimatum to the Nigerian Presidency to publicly disclose the true state of health of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The ultimatum indicates that the Presidency has until May 29 to put a rest to speculations that the government has been hijacked by a cabal, with some members of the two groups threatening to take the matter to court.
Others have called on Buhari to resign if he is unfit to rule the nation, and threatened to hold protests throughout the country on or before May 29, which marks Buhari’s second anniversary in office.
Expressing disappointment with the way information surrounding the President’s health status is being managed by his handlers, they also warned against a repeat of Nigerians’ experience during the government of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua.
The president, Campaign for Democracy, Bako Usman, said hiding Buhari’s health status has not been helpful.
He added that there is nowhere in the constitution where the president’s health status should be treated as classified information. Buhari made his first public appearance in two weeks as he attended Friday’s Juma’at service but Usman said his group is giving the presidency a two-week ultimatum for it to declare Buhari’s health status.
On his part, the spokesperson for Free Nigeria Coalition, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, said his group was giving the presidency till May 29 to fully disclose Buhari’s health status. He said the group would organise a rally and even reach out to Nigerians to protest against the handling of Buhari’s health in the days to come.
Also speaking, the publicity secretary of Youth Arise for Nigeria, Liborous Oshoma, called on the president and the cabal to ‘do the right thing on or before the administration’s second anniversary in office’.
He said: “Can Nigerians, in all honesty, declare the person that appointed them incapacitated because it will mean they may also be packing their bags? We employed him. He came to us to seek employment and he campaigned. Then we employed him with our votes collectively. So he is answerable to us as his employers. So if he is resting, we need to know why he is resting.”
Reacting to a recent statement by the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said that the president was resting until he was fit to resume work, but a lawyer and human rights activist, Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa, said it was an admission that Nigeria’s leader was unfit.
“By May 29, all of these issues should be sorted out,” he said. Also, a constitutional lawyer and human rights activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), said he is fully in support of the May 29 ultimatum and will join the protest.
The board chairman of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, popularly called Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi, also declared his support for the May 29 ultimatum. He said it was obvious that some people are bent on holding the country to ransom because of money.
On his part, the president of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Chinonso Obasi, warned that if a cabal continues to keep secrets as regards the President’s health, the group would have no option but to protest.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Trade Union Congress has said those keeping the health condition of the president secret are not doing the country any good. The state chairman of the TUC, Soladoye Ekundayo, said Nigerians have the right to know the state of health of their president.
The president of Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Malachy Ugwummadu, described the situation as “unfortunate” and “regrettable”.
He said: “Our disposition to take a position, canvass that position, and protest is never in dispute. We have a long history of that, so our disposition and capacity to protest is never in dispute and has never been in doubt. And our protest is not only on the street, we also go to court.”
