Why Buhari will not resign – FG
.Says President will preside over Nigeria until May 2023
Following repeated demands for the resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari by key opposition figures and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in recent times, the Presidency has insisted that the President will not vacate his seat before the 2023 expiration of his second term in office.
Advancing reasons why Buhari will not resign, the Federal Government on Thursday said the President has overwhelming mandate of Nigerians to preside over the affairs of the country until the expiration of his tenure in May 2023.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this at a media briefing in Abuja.
Apparently reacting to comments especially by political and religious leaders calling for Buhari’s resignation over purported spate of insecurity in the country, Mohammed described such comments as ‘diversionary’.
The Daily Times recalls that early this year, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senate minority leader, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to resign over the spate of insecurity in the country.
He said this in reaction to a statement credited to the president where he expressed surprise over the country’s insecurity.
Abaribe, while contributing to a debate on a motion on the country’s insecurity, said those in charge of the country’s security would rather rely on propaganda than do their jobs.
He said: “When you want to deal with a matter, you go to the head, so we will go to government and ask this government to resign because they can no longer do anything”.
Also, the PDP has made series of demand for the President’s resignation while alleging that Nigeria is collapsing under his watch.
Addresding a press conference recently in Abuja, the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, unequivocally told President Buhari to take the path of honour by stepping down from office because he has totally failed in his duty of securing the country.
He said Nigeria under Buhari Presidency has collapsed and in dire need of declaration of state of emergency on security.
When asked if he was advising the President to take same path of resignation, the PDP chairman said: “Exactly, he should resign if he does not have solution to the security challenges in the country”.
Though unruffled by the incessant call on Buhari to throw in the towel, the Federal Government conceded that the country was facing security challenges but they were being tackled headlong.
The Information minister at the press briefing on Thursday said: “There have been some red herrings in recent times, including those calling for the resignation of Mr. President or the sack of the security chiefs.
“I just want to say that the government, which has provided and continues to provide the military and the security agencies with the wherewithal, believes in their ability to tackle insecurity.
“These challenges will be successfully tackled. I will however advice all commentators, especially political and religious leaders, to be very careful at this time not to aggravate the situation with incendiary comments.
“These are comments that cash in on our religious, ethnic and political fault lines to further divide us”.
The minister cautioned Nigerians mostly critics of the Buhari administration to weigh their statements which are capable of inciting the citizenry against the government and consequently lead to distability.
“Leaders should be part of solutions to problems, rather than aggravating situations. To those asking Mr. President to resign, I wish to say this: Mr. President will not resign. He has the overwhelming mandate of Nigerians to preside over the affairs of the country till the expiration of his tenure in May 2023,” he said.
