The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has replied the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that President Muhammadu Buhari’s trip has created no legal or constitutional incident.
In a statement, signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, BMO said President Buhari is, in fact, the first Nigerian President to adhere to the Nigerian Constitution in that particular respect.
The group advised the PDP to desist from “unwarranted and frivolous media attacks” on President Buhari over his recent private trip to the United Kingdom.
The pro-Buhari group gave the admonition in its reaction to a press conference addressed by Mr Uche Secondus, National Chairman of the PDP where the party had descended heavily on President Buhari for a private visit to the UK without informing the National Assembly.
“We are constrained to remind the Peoples Democratic Party that throughout its sixteen years in power, Nigerians cannot recall any particular time a president transmitted letters to the National Assembly while embarking on vacation or any foreign trip.
“In fact, President Buhari is the first President to start adhering to the constitutional provision on the transmission of letters to the National Assembly whenever embarking on vacation.
“For the avoidance of doubt, President Buhari, in deference to the constitution, has always transmitted a letter to the National Assembly when embarking on vacation or medical trip and this is in line with his belief in the rule of law,” the statement read in part.
BMO enjoined the opposition party “to always stick to constructive engagements as an opposition party, and refrain from overheating the polity with careless statements.
“Even on the position of the law, we make bold to say that Section 145 sub section 2 allows the President twenty one days window within which to transmit a letter to the National Assembly. In this particular case, the president will only be away for ten days, and this indicates that no section of the Constitution has been breached.
“We condemn the tendency of the PDP to always drag the country into needless controversies,” the group added.
