London trip: Buhari has breached constitution, says Ubani

Oladimeji Ramon

A former Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Monday Ubani, says

President Muhammadu Buhari breached the constitution for failing to hand over to the Vice President while embarking on a two-week private visit to London.

Ubani also condemned the transportation of a bill to London for Buhari to sign.

The lawyer faulted the claim that the President was not mandated to hand over power to the Vice President unless he will be away for more than 21 days.

He said those making the claim were misinterpreting Section 145(2) of the constitution.

Ubani recalled that subsection (2) was introduced to Section 145 of the constitution in 2010 to forestall a repeat of what happened when the late President Umar Yar’Adua embarked on a foreign medical trip without transmitting power to the VP.

He said, “The sum total of that subsection is that if the President fails, refuses and or neglects to transmit power to the Vice President, the National Assembly is mandated after the period of 21 days to pass a resolution empowering the Vice President to start to act automatically ‘as the Acting President of Nigeria’.

“That section did not and never provided that it is only when the President will spend more than 21 days outside the shores of the country, that he will be required to hand over power to his Vice President.

“The 21 days provision is meant to give the maximum period the President will be allowed to be in breach of Section 145 of the Constitution as the National Assembly will come in to do what the President ought to have done in the first place by mandating the Vice President to act in the place of the ‘travelled President’.

“The President has breached the 1999 constitution, no doubt, by his inability to transmit power to the Vice President of the country for the 19 or less that he wants to spend for his “private visit’ in the UK.

“His “private visit’ has no place in Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution in the first place. He is only allowed outside the shores of Nigeria for official visits, medicals and or vacations.”

Ubani said the signing of a bill by Buhari in London did not speak well for Nigeria’s sovereignty.

He said, “More troubling is the signing of Offshores Bill in the UK, outside the shores of Nigeria. The act of signing the bill outside the country, politically sends a signal to our friends that our sovereignty as a nation is in doubt.

“Some acts attract dignity, some do not. This one certainly does not. If I were the President, who love and respect my country, I will instruct that the bill should wait until I come back and sign it in our shores. The signing of that bill in the far UK sent wrong signals on so many fronts and it is not healthy for this government.” Lalasticlala

https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/london-trip-buhari-has-breached-constitution-says-ubani/amp/

like he knows what the constitution is

Blakjewelry:
like he knows what the constitution is

If u go to court, he has the Supreme Court in his pocket - just as he has the house and senate. Chai!

As if it's the first time the tyrant is breaching Constitution.. This one too will pass.. No be this same Nigeria?

Thank u Mr lawyer.
I had expected our so called constitutional lawyers to shed more light into this but it seems like we don't have such lawyers in Nigeria anymore or is it Buhari effect?

So the 21 days brouhaha was taken out of context?

Hmm.

I hate politicians but I'm beginning to pity the vice president. That man will soon develop high bp. He will be regretting seriously.
He made money working with tinubu, has a successful career, what again does he want if not greed?
Even as he went to aso rock, greed no gree am see road.

Those that put you there has more political powers than u.
U for quietly do what u signed for and go your way.
At least, we will still blame it to the redundant office of the vp as usual. U can never make Nigeria better.
Very impossible. As long as Nigeria is structured this way with the useless 1999 constitution backing it, no president will make naija work. U try, forces around u will spoil show for u. Ask Jonathan and late yaradua.

We don't have a court in Nigeria stop it.

Ubani please take him to court if you're not comfortable. Enough of this useless talk every time.

sassysure:
Thank u Mr lawyer.
I had expected our so called constitutional lawyers to shed more light into this but it seems like we don't have such lawyers in Nigeria anymore or is it Buhari effect?

So the 21 days brouhaha was taken out of context?

Hmm.

I hate politicians but I'm beginning to pity the vice president. That man will soon develop high bp. He will be regretting seriously.
He made money working with tinubu, has a successful career, what again does he want if not greed?
Even as he went to aso rock, greed no gree am see road.

Those that put you there has more political powers than u.
U for quietly do what u signed for and go your way.
At least, we will still blame it to the redundant office of the vp as usual. U can never make Nigeria better.
Very impossible. As long as Nigeria is structured this way with the useless 1999 constitution backing it, no president will make naija work. U try, forces around u will spoil show for u. Ask Jonathan and late yaradua.

That guy had prospect..

sassysure:
Thank u Mr lawyer.
I had expected our so called constitutional lawyers to shed more light into this but it seems like we don't have such lawyers in Nigeria anymore or is it Buhari effect?

So the 21 days brouhaha was taken out of context?

Hmm.

I hate politicians but I'm beginning to pity the vice president. That man will soon develop high bp. He will be regretting seriously.
He made money working with tinubu, has a successful career, what again does he want if not greed?
Even as he went to aso rock, greed no gree am see road.

Those that put you there has more political powers than u.
U for quietly do what u signed for and go your way.
At least, we will still blame it to the redundant office of the vp as usual. U can never make Nigeria better.
Very impossible. As long as Nigeria is structured this way with the useless 1999 constitution backing it, no president will make naija work. U try, forces around u will spoil show for u. Ask Jonathan and late yaradua.

That’s exactly what he did - shed more light. The 21 days is not for the prez, it’s for the NA. That’s how long they have to wait before mandating VP to take over. Bubu always handed over till the “war” started

johnmartus:
Ubani please take him to court if you're not comfortable. Enough of this useless talk every time.

Take him to which court? When the supreme court is in PMB’s pocket

CanadaOrBust:
London trip: Buhari has breached constitution, says Ubani

Oladimeji Ramon

I try to tell people that most citizens of Nigeria of Buhari's age still believe that we are ruled by the British and are fascinated by the Queen of England, so degrading, I know Africa will rise again for my children or great-grandchildren and the prime minister of UK will be signing such bills in Lagos.

Understand the fact that we are operating presidential system of government. Not totalitarianism. Start use your head

CanadaOrBust:


Take him to which court? When the supreme court is in PMB’s pocket

Directionless government

johnmartus:
Understand the fact that we are operating presidential system of government. Not totalitarianism. Start use your head

The point is that the Chief Justice is his hand-picked Sharia-loving brother

tennerick:


I try to tell people that most citizens of Nigeria of Buhari's age still believe that we are ruled by the British and are fascinated by the Queen of England, so degrading, I know Africa will rise again for my children or great-grandchildren and the prime minister of UK will be signing such bills in Lagos.

You nailed it, but no matter how much u rise UK will NEVER so degrade themselves

slimfit1:
We don't have a court in Nigeria stop it.

Oh we have courts - maybe not courts of justice but courts nonetheless - tennis ball courts, basketball courts, etc

Buhari is clumsy and wolfish.

Which of the buhari

CanadaOrBust:
London trip: Buhari has breached constitution, says Ubani

Oladimeji Ramon

And even osibande cannot read, digest & understands the true import of Section 145(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the FRN ( as amended) to bad for a SAN & a law Professor.

tennerick:


I try to tell people that most citizens of Nigeria of Buhari's age still believe that we are ruled by the British and are fascinated by the Queen of England, so degrading, I know Africa will rise again for my children or great-grandchildren and the prime minister of UK will be signing such bills in Lagos.

Now you are seeing the light. One reason why I want a disintegration is because Nigeria was not created by our own hands. It was done by the colonial rulers. If you want to know how an average white man see we Africans,watch serie A. Look at how the blacks are treated in the US.most African countries are I. Conflict because of too many tribes and the divide and conquer tactics used by the British and France on their colonies. These countries are very wicked I mean they are very evil. We all know what France has done in French colonies. But the British as evil as they are try to make it look like as if they are good people. They have this attitude of condescending look at their fellow whites thinking they are better than everyone and imagine how they would look at the black man. The Yorubas have to team up with their cousins in Benin to have a separate state or be on their own. The Igbos have to form a country with their cousins across the Niger an dthe north would have to be with their people in the Chad and Niger areas. We are moving towards slavery if we continue to accept our fate and bloodshed if we decide enough is enough. If the Yorubas unite with the Igbos, which would be difficult then we would create a force that would challenge not only the Fulanis but the western imperialism. But for some reason the Yorubas feel so comfortable in this union. Whatever achievement that Awolowo created has been destroyed by the North. Africa has to be reorganized for it to move forward. All I see is wars wars wars.

Both old and young people from East reasons same way..

Buhari's trip to UK is just for 2 weeks ( 14 days) The constitutions mandated he must hand over if he will be unavailable for 21 days.

This people should stop whinning around jor

Too many lacuna in our constitution.

If the constitution is not critically reviewed and and amendments made in such a way that we won't be deceiving ourselves, then there's very less we can do to end the mass enslavement by the political class.

To put it short, fixing the lacuna and miscues in our constitution is sine qua non for the better 9ja we crave for.

So what do we do?

Buhari's legal team will find loopholes in the constitution

Ubani used to be Buhari's number one fan. I guess he got angry when EFCC detained him and Buhari failed to intervene

Do you need a professional logo?... Dm me on whatsapp. Check my designs and my number in the link in my signature. You will be amazed

There are some people and comments you ignore. Here is one

and nothing you or anybody can do...he has done it over n over n over again and nothing can happen....

Nigeria became a joke a long time when we choose an illiterate to rule over us.

Imagine Trump, Putin, Merkel, Macron, Borris, even Ramaphosa traveling out of their country then few days later the presidential house boy brings some documents over to him to sign in another country. I don't think that document should be valid.

Its like a judge giving judgement on a roadside and expects the court to uphold it

Ehn....Impeach him na....odé.