As reactions continue to greet President Muhammadu Buhari’s
decision to work from the house, some Nigerian lawyers have stated that there
was nothing wrong with his action.
Buhari was absent from a meeting of the Federal Executive
Council inside the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on
Wednesday, a development that triggered nationwide debate.
However, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai
Mohammed had while explaining the reason for Buhari’s absent said the President
will “now operate from home.”
In a statement, Mohammed said the President only decided to
work from home on Wednesday, not that he had decided to work from home
henceforth.
The minister said, “He (the President) wanted to rest today
and he asked the VP to preside over today’s meeting.
“In addition, he also asked that all his files be taken home
to him and he will be working from home today.’’
The Civil Liberty Organisation, CLO, and the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, while reacting, called on the president to resign.
However, some lawyers, who spoke exclusively with DAILY POST
on Thursday, said the President can work from anywhere, including the toilet.
According them, the constitution does not enforce the
president to report at the office everyday.
Speaking with our reporter on phone, human right activist
and Abuja-based lawyer, Bar Paul Edeh said Buhari’s decision is constitutional.
“What Nigerians should be debating on now is not where the
president is working from but his capacity to lead. As far as I am concerned,
the president can rule from anywhere, even from the toilet or aircraft, he
remains our president.
“Are we saying that Buhari could only be addressed as president
in his office? I think what Nigerians should be talking about now is if he has
the capacity to lead.
“The constitution does not enforce the president to sign
daily attendance roaster in his office. What if he travels out of the country,
won’t he still remain our president?
“His coming to the office is a true test to the fact that he
is okay but not a must. The reason he operates from home is because he is sick
and anybody could fall sick.
“I think what we need to do now is to ask some medical experts
to tell us if the president is still strong enough to lead. And the president
equally needs to own up on his health status if he still has the power to lead
or hand over to his Vice, Osinbajo,” Edeh said.
On his part, ace lawyer, Barrister Mike Awoniyi said the
hullabaloo over Buhari’s decision to work from home is needless.
According to him, there is no where in the constitution that
says the president should report at his office on daily basis.
“I think the noise about Buhari’s decision to work from home
is needless because he has not committed any crime. He can work from anywhere
as long as he is still alive and has not told anybody he is no longer active.
Those calling for his impeachment or resignation should show us the section of
the scripture that says the president must sign daily register in his office.
“We Nigerians love making mountains of molehills,” the
Lagos-based lawyer told DAILY POST on phone.
On his part, Benue-born lawyer, Barrister Akor Ikwuoche also
agreed with his colleagues that the president can work from anywhere.
He said, “To the best of my knowledge, it is not an
impeachable offence. He can even operate from his hometown in Daura. It depends
on where he chooses to stay and discharge his duty as the nation’s number one
man.
“There is nothing unconstitutional about his decision. The
only area Nigerians should look at is whether the president still has the
mental capacity to perform his duty.
“This can only be done by medical experts headed by his
chief physician. People should put pressure on him to open up on his health
status and not calling for his resignation or impeachment.”
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