Yinka Odumakin, the spokesperson of Afenifere, the leading socio-political platform in Yorubaland, has said that there have been ‘serial assaults’ on the office of the Vice President.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Politics on Thursday, November 7, 2019, he held the opinion that the vice president Yemi Osinbajo had been stripped of many of his duties.
He said this in reaction to the President’s decision to sign a new bill on offshore oil fields.
Abba Kyari, the chief of staff, had travelled to London on Monday to submit the new bill for his assent – a situation which has since sparked controversy and intensified speculations that Osinbajo has been sidelined.
According to him, although some may argue that some of the functions are at the discretion of the president, the transmission of power to the office of the Vice President when he is leaving the country is different as it is a constitutional matter.
“There have been serial assaults on that office for a long time now,” Odumakin stated.
“Since after Osinbajo sacked Lawan Daura, there has never been any data transmission to the National Assembly whenever the president is travelling out of the country.
“Outside that, we have seen that most of the functions given to his office have been stripped.
“Many of them have been taken to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
“You can say that most of those functions are at the discretion of the president but the question of the President’s transmission of power to the Vice President when he is leaving the country, is a constitutional matter.
“The constitution says that when the President is going out of the country, he shall write to the National Assembly, transmit to the Vice and when he comes back, he will send another letter… that has not been done in this case.
“What we have now seen is the Chief of Staff, taking bills to London for the President to sign”.
The Presidency has, however, debunked reports of a misunderstanding between the Office of the President and the Vice President.
Babajide Omowurare, the senior special assistant to the president on national assembly matters, made this clarification while briefing journalists at the National Assembly earlier on Wednesday.
He explained that the constitution permits the President to work from anywhere.
Omowurare, however, remained silent on why the President did not transmit a letter to the National Assembly, handing over responsibilities to the Vice President.
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