Perhaps stressed by the gale of defection rocking the All Progressive Congresses ( APC) President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday announced that he is proceeding on a 10 working days holiday with effect from August 3, 2018.
The leave which will be spent in London, also affords the President opportunity to meet with his doctors, even though this was not stated in the statement announcing his leave.
The current leave is the second this year, as the President had proceeded on a similar leave from the 1st of April, 2018, as a prelude to the official participation of the President at the last Commonwealth heads of government meeting in London.
The leave is also coming just few days after the President was elected Chairman Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS ) at the meetings of the Joint Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and ECOWAS as well as the 53rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS.
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The gale of defections in the APC has seen the decamping of prominent top notch of the party , including Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Governors Abdulfatah Ahmed and Aminu Tambuwal, 15 Senators as well as 32 members of the House of Representatives.
This is just as many are billed to follow in the Tsunami of defections that the party is currently facing.
Aside the defections, the President has been under pressure not to contest the 2019 Presidential election as formers Nigerian leaders who had backed him ahead of the 2015 general election have turned back from him.
The defections have inflicted deep wound on the President’s chances in the 2019 election despite insistence by the party that the defections will not affect his chances
A statement by Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina, said “ in compliance with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, a letter has been transmitted to the President of the Senate, and the Speaker, House of Representatives to that effect.
He disclosed that “ while the President is on vacation, the Vice President will be in acting capacity as President.
Recall that President Buhari had embarked on similar medical holidays that lasted over 100days in 2017
“President Buhari will be in London for the holidays”, according to Adesina.
