There are indications that the All
Progressives Congress is
uncomfortable with the May 28
handover date proposed by the
out-going administration.
Investigation by Saturday
PUNCHrevealed that the outgoing
President Goodluck Jonathan and
the President-elect, Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) are
set to clash over a proposal by the
Jonathan team to hand over the
mantle of leadership to Buhari on
May the 28th, instead of the 29th.
Saturday PUNCH gathered that the
Buhari team was already over
what they considered as an act of
ill-will laced with sinister
motives.
This is sequel to an
announcement by the Minister of
Information, Senator Patricia
Akwashiki, that President
Jonathan would perform the
handover ceremony at a dinner
on May 28.
Akwashiki made the
announcement after Wednesday’s
Federal Executive Council
meeting.
She told journalists, “By May 28,
the President intends to have the
formal handover done at a dinner
so that we can reserve May 29 for
the incoming government.”
However, since the return of
democracy in 1999, the traditional
date for the handover of power
has been May 29, which is also
observed as Democracy Day.
This tradition has been the vogue
for the past 16 years. It also
presents an opportunity for the
outgoing President to formally
present the instrument of
authority to his successor in the
full glare of members of the
public, local and international
media, as well as foreign
dignitaries.
A top member of the All
Progressives Congress, who spoke
on condition of anonymity
because he was not authorised to
speak to the media said, “It is
simply not acceptable, we are
rejecting it, it is a trap.”
He explained that from a security
point of view, it could be
considered a trap.
“How can anyone explain a
situation where an outgoing
president and his team will
conveniently excuse themselves
from an event where they are
supposed to play a role when the
President-elect and the Vice-
President- elect are supposed to
be present?” he queried.
According to the party chieftain,
power abhors a vacuum as such,
the constitution does not envisage
a situation where Nigeria will be
without a sitting President even
for one hour.
He said, “If Jonathan hands over
on the 28th, who accounts for the
hours before the morning of the
29th when the Chief Justice of the
Federation is to administer the
oath of office and the oath of
allegiance?
“What if there is even a sinister
motive to this whole saga? As the
President of the nation; who will
still be the Chief Security officer
until he hands over, there is no
excuse that is strong enough to
excuse him from the event.”
When contacted, a member of the
Buhari campaign team, Mr. Rotimi
Fashakin, said while he was not
privy to any meeting on the
subject yet, it was only logical to
ask Nigerians not to rest on their
oars until total liberation was
achieved.
He described the announcement
by President Jonathan to hand
over a day earlier than was due
as a ploy to rubbish the gains
made with the historic win by the
opposition APC.
Fashakin said, “It (the proposed
handover on the 28th) portends ill
for the political destiny of this
nation.
“That statement is loaded and it
shows that the Nigerian people
should not rest yet that there is
still ominous signs which we
should never take for granted. If
Jonathan truly said he is handing
over on the 28th it presupposes
that he will be absent on the 29th.
“Number one, if he hands over on
the 28th to the President-elect,
does Gen. Muhammadu Buhari
start to act effectively on that
date? The answer is an emphatic
NO.
“GMB does not start to act on that
date, if you get what I mean.
Handing over to GMB on that date
is not only meaningless, it is
stupid. It has no meaning in law,
or reality. It means that for 24
hours before GMB takes over
there will be a vacuum.”
He further argued that on the side
of morality, Nigeria borrowed its
constitution substantially from the
American Constitution, and as
such, it should learn a thing or
two about how it operates.
He said there was never a time in
recorded history where an
outgoing American President, who
is hale and hearty, will absent
himself from the handover
ceremony of his successor no
matter their political differences.
Although, it is not yet clear how
the Buhari team would handle
“this threat,” it was learnt that the
party’s legal team is being put on
notice to be on the alert.
It was also gathered that the
President-elect and his team have
kept the issue of ministerial
appointments in abeyance.
A member of the party’s National
Working Committee, who pleaded
for anonymity because he was not
authorised to speak to the media,
said, “The general is a meticulous
person and we all know that the
main task before us now is the
transition committee. The issue of
who will be minister has been
kept in abeyance.” http://247nigerianewsupdate.co/update-why-apc-rejects-may-28-handover-date/

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please Mr GEJ you must complete your tenure.
which kind thing be dis nao?
which kind game you wan play nao? mi i no understand woo...
why GEJ like controversial things nao

well APC/GMB shine your eye wooo