Disclaimer: This is no wicked, callous, hateful or unkind post intended to “kill” our President.

Wait, why do we have to explain this again?

Anyway, if you are one of the people that experienced the painful ordeal that shrouding the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua’s sickness in secrecy visited upon Nigerians (or those who have read about it) will know better than to wait for updates from the Presidency about President Buhari’s health status. We imagine that this demographic has already steeled itself for whatever news may come from the “extended vacation”.

This sentiment must now be strengthened by the report from the Senate that there’s no specified return date indicated in the President’s letter If this is the case, they may have started wondering what’s next. The Presidency, after all, must outlive any occupier. More importantly, for the sake of our collective sanity, we must not allow this experience to truly come full circle.

In case you missed it, we already covered what you’re wondering in this Thought Experiment the week the President travelled.

Thought Experiment: So what if Buhari had actually died?

In it, we explained the process laid out in Section 146 of the Nigerian Constitution which will see current Vice-President assume the role of President Muhammadu Buhari if push comes to shove. We also went further to explain what would happen if Vice President Osinbajo’s office were also to become vacant in the short amount of time. In that instance, the Senate President assumes office for a maximum of three months, during which time we will have to return to the polls – to chose a new President.

That last part is the point of this piece. Have Nigerians started to think of this extreme circumstance yet?

If you had to, will you be able to point to a credible next President? Or would know what to look out for in anyone who presented themselves as such?

Roqeebah

Creative mind. Enthusiast. Learner. Multipotentialite. And here, an assistant editor.