A member of the National Assembly, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s return from his medical vacation in London, saying it will end controversies surrounding his long absence.
Buhari left Nigeria on May 7 for medical attention in England and returned on Saturday after 104 days.
Although he handed over power to the Vice President in compliance with the Constitution, his long absence elicited varied commentaries and protests, with some urging him to “resume or resign”.
Abaribe, who is Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the president’s return was good news for Nigerians, and “will end the controversies that trailed his stay in London”.
“All Progressives Congress (APC) can stop blackmailing Nigerians who ask questions about the president’s ill health and face the serious governance issues bedeviling the country,’’ he said.
The lawmaker congratulated Buhari for his “full recovery” and expressed optimism that he would resume to continue with the business of governance.
On his part, Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, prayed God to make the president stronger by the day now that he had returned.
He said, “we thank Almighty Allah for making the president’s return possible. I pray he continues to get stronger and stronger in the days ahead.
“Now that the father of the land is back, all the prophets of doom are now put to shame.’’
Sen. Yusuf Yusuf said that the president’s return called for celebration.
“I feel wonderful and great and I thank God Almighty that our president is back.
“I feel this is what every Nigerian should be happy about and we look forward to seeing him resume fully so that he can continue with the good works he has been doing,’’ he said.
Yusuf described Buhari as a man of integrity, adding that he followed the rule of law before travelling by transmitting power to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
He said that Osinbajo did quite well as acting president and that he didn’t see any reason for the tension that built up in Buhari’s absence.
A retired civil servant, Mr Solomon Ehigiator, said that the president’s return would strengthen good governance.
“We pray that God should give him divine health to be able to carry out his assignment, particularly fight against corruption.
“Corruption has been destroying our existence and it is not easy to be uprooted once; it is a gradual process.
“The only advice is that there should not be any ‘sacred cow’. Whoever is found corrupt should face the law irrespective of tribe, religion, age or status,” Ehigiator said.
He urged the people to allow the president to do his work, saying that the man knew his plans for the country.
“He contested almost four times before he won and I presumed that he has his target and should not be stampeded; people should not tell him what to do because he knows why he contested.
“He should be able to know what Nigeria needs, because he had ruled before. So, we are not to dictate to him because he has been through all the stages,” he said. (NAN)