CONCERNED Nigerians, a pro-democracy group committed to accountability, rule of law, good governance and the fight against corruption, has demanded that the Senate president invokes section 144 sub section 4 of the Nigerian Constitution and set up of a medical panel with the acting president to ascertain whether the president is incapacitated.

The medical panel, it said would be a team of five doctors from which one of them would be the personal physician of the president while the other four would be appointed by the Senate president in accordance with the law.

“If the president is found with any infirmity that renders him incapable of discharging his duties, the Senate president and the speaker of the House of Representatives shall officially declare him incapable of discharging his duties and declare his office vacant as prescribed in subsection 2 of section 143,” the group said in a statement signed by Deji Adeyanju, convener and John Danfulani, secretary, dated July 4.

According to the statement, Tuesday, July 4, made it 58 days that President Muhammadu Buhari has been out the country on medical vacation in the United Kingdom and would be 60 days away in two days’ time.

The said Buhari had been out long enough and without any public appearances either in London or in Nigeria, but only “clandestinely ‘communicated’ with very few people and an infamous voice note spoken in Hausa wishing Nigerians happy Eid.”

Besides, it said details of President Buhari’s health status had “been kept away from the generality of Nigerians while his media team and other members of his cabinet/party make conflicting comments regarding his health. As at the time of this statement, no one including members of his party as admitted by Bolaji Abdullahi, a spokesperson of his party, knows the true medical condition of the President’s health. Is it cancer as speculated? Is it dementia or Alzheimers as reported by different Nigerian media? No answers have been given by the Presidency.

“We acknowledge that during this period, President Buhari has satisfied constitutional requirements by transmitting letters to the National Assembly handing power over to his Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, on an acting capacity.

“The acting president has not been able to exert his will and is being continuously subdued by the antics of the cabal, the same cabal that has kept the president away from the country without any explanation.

“We also recognise the failure of the leadership of the National Assembly Senator Bukola Saraki in launching an investigation or setting up a panel to look into the true status of the president’s health as we believe that they have been compromised and working with the cabal against the Nigerian people. The leadership of the National Assembly must chose between the Nigerian people and the cabal. Sixty days is too long for a commander in chief to be away from his country without any explanation to the people that voted him.”

The group, therefore, demanded the Senate President invokes section 144 sub section 4 of the Nigerian Constitution and direct the setting up of a medical panel in conjunction with the  Osinbajo to ascertain whether the president could continue in office or incapacitated.

However, the roup would want President Buhari to address the nation via a live video on or before the 60th day of his absence. “We demand that AIT, Channels, Vanguard and Punch Correspondents should be present, online media correspondents from two platforms Sahara and Premium Times should also be present.

“In failing to do so, we will begin a series of peaceful processions and mass action across the country such as Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kaduna and also outside the country in London and New York aimed at sensitizing the public as to the legal & constitutional crisis created by President Buhari’s continued absence from office and the insistence of the cabal to shield him away from his constituents, the Nigerian people,” the group said.

—  Jul 4, 2017 @ 18:20 GMT