Osinbajo:News of crack in presidency nothing but rumour – APC govs

.Say Buhari, VP working together harmoniously

.PDP dares Osinbajo to resign, asks NASS to act on VP’s pronouncement

Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have insisted that the purported rumour of differences between the President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is nothing but complete rumour.

The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) said the unsubstantiated crack in the presidency only exist in the realm of gossip.

Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Prince Obafemi Hamzat, made this disclosure on Thursday while reacting to questions from a section of the media at the inauguration of PGF Media and Communications Steering Committee in Abuja.

Hamzat, who stood in for Governor Babajide Sanwo – Olu, co- chairman of the committee, said APC governors as critical stakeholders in the party were not aware of any unease in the rank of the Buhari presidency.

He said: “There is no crack. It is in the realm of gossips. By the time they said that, the Vice President went to Zimbabwe to represent this country. It was the prerogative of the president but he nominated him.

“Like I said earlier, it is in the realm of gossips because only on Wednesday, the Vice President presided over the Federal Executive Committee (FEC) meeting which is the highest decision- making body in the country.

“So, we don’t listen to rumours. We deal with facts and the fact is that they are working together. So, it is all rumour and don’t take it that serious.”

Hamzat said the public/media engagement is an initiative to demonstrate the commitment of APC governors to issues of citizens’ participation as the necessary credential for the expansion of the democratic space.

He said based on the recommendations of the PGF Media & Communication Steering Committee, during the 2015 – 2019 era, the party adopted a number of initiatives, which include the PGF Monthly Progressive Strides, online sectoral campaigns, and Town Hall Meetings.

While recognising that the successes and impact of these activities especially in relations to stimulating the envisioned public engagements in states was constrained by factors, which may have to do with capacity gaps of state officials and associated issues of conservative mindsets, however, he said the party thinks it should be able to strengthen capacity to rollout more progressive public/media engagement initiatives during this era 2019 – 2023.

He added that the PGF Media & Communications Programme Steering Committee co – chaired by the Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir el – Rufai, will take closer look at issues of strengthening the capacity of APC states to implement approved initiatives.

“Where evaluation of capacity highlights gaps in the ability of our state officials to facilitate implementation especially on the issue of media and public engagement, we will require the Steering Committee to develop capacity development proposals as integral components of your recommendations”.

The APC Governors, he said, will be concerned with issues of citizens’ participation as the operative credential for democratic governance.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dared the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to make good his threat to set aside his constitutional immunity by immediately resigning his office to face in court, the corruption allegations, in which he was named.

The party said since Osinbajo has announced his readiness to renounce his constitutional immunity in the face of corruption allegations, he should do the needful by resigning and vacating the office as there is no provision for waiver of immunity in the nation’s constitution.

The PDP, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, held that immunity under section 308 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) is conferred on an official by virtue of his/her election into an office within a duration and cannot be waived by any means other than resignation.

The party maintained that “it is instructive to state that Section 308 confers immunity to the holder of the office “during his period in office”. There is no provision for waiver while the holder is still in office.

“Vice President Osinbajo should know that it is settled that section 308 can only be set aside by vacating the office. It is not a jacket to be put on or dropped at will.

“Significantly, our party invites the Vice President to note that his pronouncement has set off a process, which is expected to terminate in his resignation.”

The PDP, therefore, put the National Assembly on notice to consider the pronouncement by the Vice President as an official communication to the legislature indicating his intention to vacate office.