President Muhammadu Buhari says he decided not to hand over power to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo when he travelled to the United Kingdom on a private visit from April 25th to May 5th, 2019, because there was no constitutional requirement for him to do so.
The President further stated that the only time he needs to hand over to Osinbajo is when he is proceeding on leave or going to be out of the country for more than 21 days.
Buhari said this in a six-paragraph counter-affidavit deposed on his behalf by a litigation officer in the Civil Litigation Department of the Federal Ministry of Justice Friday Atu.
A Lagos-based lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, sued Buhari and the attorney-general of the federation over the President’s failure to hand over power to Osinbajo in April.
In his response, however, Buhari stated that the Nigerian Constitution does not make it mandatory for him to transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to enable the Vice President to act as President except when his vacation exceeds 21 days.
