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Obasanjo, Babangida, Abubakar meet over Buhari’s health

By Bertram Nwannekanma (Lagos), Saxone Akhaine (Kaduna) and Akin Alofetekun (Minna)
03 May 2017   |   4:04 am
Former Nigerian leaders, Generals Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, yesterday met over the state of health of President Muhammadu Buhari.

President Mohammadu Buhari/ AFP PHOTO / Sunday AGHAEZE

• Arewa leaders seek prayers, caution against speculation
• Adegboruwa wants Senate to declare president’s office vacant

Former Nigerian leaders, Generals Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar, yesterday met over the state of health of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The leaders, in a closed-door meeting at the Minna hilltop residence of Babangida, were said to have considered all constitutional options available for the country in the face of the inability of President Buhari “to effectively function” as president.

According to a source privy to the meeting, the trio agreed to “continue to closely watch the situation and “will speak out” at the appropriate time.

The Guardian gathered that Obasanjo arrived in Minna on Monday precisely at 3:00 p.m. and was received by Governor Abubakar Sani Bello who drove him to the residence of Babangida.

The source said Abubakar was already waiting at the IBB’s residence by the time Obasanjo arrived.Meanwhile, Arewa leaders have warned Nigerians to desist from drawing conclusions on the status of Buhari’s health and jointly pray for his recovery.

The northern leaders, under the aegis of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), also called on the National Assembly leaders to bury their hatchets and resolve their differences over the speculated disorder and lack of cohesion with the Presidency.

A statement yesterday by the National Publicity of the ACF, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim, said: “Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has observed with concern that some individuals are carelessly making unnecessary remarks pertaining to the health of President Muhammadu Buhari. What Nigerians need to do now is to pray for his good health and not to speculate or draw conclusions, which will do no one any good.

“ACF advises Nigerians to please pray for the improvement of the President’s health so that he can serve the nation with more vigor.”In another development, a human rights activist, Ebun Adegboruwa, has called on the Senate to declare the office of the President vacant on the account of his ill-health.

In a statement yesterday, Adegboruwa said the President’s ill-health had changed a lot of his views concerning his government.According to him: “We are all human after all, and no one can play God or rejoice over another man on account of his ill-health.

“Even though the President is human, the constitution anticipates a fit and proper chief executive to be in charge and run the affairs of Nigeria, which Gen. Buhari cannot presently fulfill.

“The option before Nigeria presently is for the Senate to declare the office of the President vacant and to constitute a medical panel of experts to examine the health status of the President to determine if he can still continue to function in office.”

According to him, Nigerians do not need to wait for the Yar’Adua scenario before we take steps to save the President from himself and his handlers.

“I do sympathise with the President but that sympathy is dwindling daily on account of the President’s quest to hold on to power at all costs, even when it is manifestly clear that he is not fit to do so,” he added.

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