• Says Absolutely Under No Pressure To Resign
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday assured Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari is hale, hearty and would return home when he completes the necessary tests recommended by his doctors.
Addressing State House correspondents on the outcome of his telephone conversation with the president who is in the United Kingdom for medical attention, he said they discussed various issues ranging from the economy, the ongoing budget process and ongoing nationwide protests by the #IStandWithNigeria group, among others.
Prof. Osinbajo who has acted as President since January 19, 2017, explained: “Let me first say the President is hale and hearty. I spoke to him just this afternoon and we had a fairly long conversation, he is in good shape and very chatty.”
The President was “interested in knowing about the budget process and how far we had gone’’, especially with efforts aimed at taking the country out of recession.
“As you know we had a meeting today with the private sector on the economic recovery and growth plan and he was interested in knowing what was happening with that, with the economic recovery and growth plan and what we are doing with the private sector. ”And of course I informed him of what we are seeing, the protest matches and some of what the feedback is, what people are saying about the economy and all of that,” Osinbajo added.
A statement by Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity in the Office of the Vice President, quoted Osinbajo as saying when the President would return to Nigeria and his present health status: “just as he has said in his letter to the National Assembly, he needs to go through a cycle of tests and once the test results are seen, he will receive medical advice. We should expect him very soon.
“Before you determine your health status, you must be able to run the necessary tests, and do what doctors have asked to be done, and await the outcome of that before one can talk about any kind of health status,” the Acting President said, dismissing insinuations that he was under pressure to resign.
“I was voted for by the people of this nation, myself and Mr President, and the people of this nation have never asked us to resign.
“So, I am absolutely under no pressure, and the truth is that there has been absolutely no pressure from any source.’’
