How Buhari Turned Top FG Official Back from London for Underminig Acting President - Garba Shehu

Posted by Odinaka on Wed 16th Aug, 2017 - tori.ng

One of Buhari's spokespersons, Garba Shehu said the president turned a government official back from London for undermining Osinbajo, adding that Buhari has trust in Osinbajo and does not give orders to ministers from London

Garba Shehu

While speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s programme, Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari recently turned back a government official from London for trying to undermine the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo.

The Presidential spokesman gave the example to buttress his position that there was no truth in claims that some ministers were shunning Osinbajo and reporting to Buhari in London is currently receiving medical attention since May 7.

Shehu said the official, who he did not name, went to the President with some documents but he (Buhari) turned the official back, adding that Buhari made it clear to the official that the man (Osinbajo) that was in charge of the country was in Abuja.

“It is not true that ministers are going to the United Kingdom and are reporting to the President. I am aware that a senior official had gone to President Buhari in the UK with some documents to treat and the President said ‘no, I won’t. The man responsible for the country is in Abuja, go back to him,’” he said.

When told that there was the possibility for those appointed by the President to remain loyal to him, he said, “Anybody who says their loyalty will remain with the President who appointed them does not understand the country’s constitution.

“Once the President has transferred power, if you are the Inspector-General of Police and the Acting President says ‘go and do ABC,’ you are fined if you don’t do it. So, nobody will joke with his job.”

Shehu said the government official was not fined since the President had made his position clear.

“That is to show you that this is a law and order President. If it is a President that wants power for his own sake, he could probably have been giving directives from there. But he said ‘no, I can’t give directives. I have handed over to the Acting President,’” he added.

The presidential spokesman insisted that Buhari had not done anything wrong by not disclosing his health status, adding that Nigerians could only hold him responsible if he had promised them earlier that he would make full disclosure of his health status in all circumstances.

Shehu recalled that Buhari promised to declare his asset publicly and he did so despite advice from many lawyers that there was no basis for him to do so.