by Alexander O. Onukwue

There was a real constitutional crisis in 2010 concerning the critical health of President Umaru Yar’Adua and the non-transfer of power to Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, his Vice President.

That crisis lasted right from November 23, 2009, the last day the President was seen in public by anyone, through the contrived ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ that installed Jonathan President in the first week of February 2010, through to the demise of Yar’Adua on the 5th of May, 2010. It was a problem – no, a crisis – which shook the power cords of Nigeria’s democratic circuit to the extent that it could have failed there and then.

But Nigeria pulled through that period peacefully, and at no point, in those seven months, did the country have two of the men involved acting as President at the same time. Yar’Adua, even if he wanted to, could not do anything as President beyond the 8th of February; he was too weak in body. He was not recovering “remarkably” and his return was a smuggled operation, not according to the signal of his doctors.

Goodluck Jonathan may not have had absolute powers between February and May, but he was the clearly recognized authority. There were no conversations about “state matters” between Yar’Adua and David Mark.

Fast forward seven years, and we have a less crisis-ish situation, but also troubling: Prof Yemi Osinbajo is the Acting President, and is supposed to have the full authority of the President. At the same time, President Buhari is having conversations with state officials about the budget of this year and that of the next fiscal year.

Global media outlet, Reuters, published a recent piece about the relationship between the Acting President in Nigeria and the President in London. Osinbajo, according to the piece, requires permission from the President for certain key tasks, like giving Ministers their portfolios. Former Presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati noted that the confirmation of the good health of President Buhari has created another problem for the nation at large.

How can we have a President and an Acting President, both issuing directives that affect the nation?