A pro-democracy group, Concerned Nigerians, has threatened to shut down the country if President Muhammadu Buhari fails to address Nigerians on his health status. The group's threat was contained in a statement jointly signed by Messrs. Deji Adeyanju and John Danfulani, Convener and Secretary of the group respectively.
Concerned Nigerians noted that the President's health has, for weeks, been a subject of speculations.
"He has not appeared in public for several weeks and has failed to attend several official functions, including Federal Executive Cabinet meetings," noted the group. The group flayed the handling of the situation around the President’s health, saying it has created a huge political uncertainty in the country. The political uncertainty, it added, has sparked economic uncertainty, leaving major economic stakeholders and players unable to make short, middle and long-term decisions.
In addition, Concerned Nigerians said, the haziness around the President's health is stoking ethnic and religious tensions.
"Only recently, a user of the social networking site – Facebook - threatened to kill 200 innocent Nigerians if President Buhari dies. This threat may not be unconnected with rumors making rounds in the northern parts of the country that
President Buhari was poisoned," Concerned Nigerians reasoned.
To lift the cloud of uncertainties, the group called on President Buhari to immediately address the nation on the state of his health and other national issues. Such an address, it explained, will go a long way in lessening socio-economic and political tensions.
The group warned that should President Buhari fail or refuse to address Nigerians within 14 days, it will mobilize for a series of nationwide peaceful processions to demand the President's resignation and the setting up of a committee by the Federal Executive Council and National Assembly to investigate his health.
"The processions will also call on the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly to set up a committee to assess his health in line with Section 144 of the Constitution if he fails or refuses to do so," warned the group. While Concerned Nigerians acknowledged that any human, especially one of the President's age, could fall ill, it argued that the position of the President imposes an obligation on the occupant to be upfront about his health status.
