President Muhammadu Buhari who won a re-election in the February 23 presidential election is expected to dissolve the federal executive council ahead of his May 29 inauguration for a second term of four years.
Hint to the dissolution was given yesterday by the president’s spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina while speaking in an interview on Arise Television.
He said the president’s first term mandate ends on May 29, and shortly before May 29, the president will officially dissolve his government.
“One thing about governance is that the first mandate was for four years and it lapses on May 29, and shortly before May 29, the president is likely going to officially dissolve government, that is the way it is usually done – he says thank you to everybody he has called to work with him and then, he dissolves that government officially.
“Then when he is inaugurated for a second term, he now reconstitutes government. He appoints his personal aides; he forms the cabinet; he appoints people to fill other positions,” said Adesina.
Commenting on the appointment of service chiefs which has raised discontent because of its lopsidedness, Adesina said it is not every appointment that adheres to the federal character principle.
“It is not every position that is subject to federal character. Federal character affects the cabinet. That is why it states that each state must have a minister. But there are some other positions that are strictly at the prerogative of whoever is the president, and that includes the service chiefs. That is one area that you don’t sacrifice competence on the altar of, maybe, balance,” he said.
The presidential spokesman maintained that security is not subjected to federal character and should not be treated as political appointment.
On the Buhari’s priorities in his second term, Adesina said it would revolve around the tripod -securing the country, reviving the economy and fighting corruption –which he said the president had hammered at every point during his electioneering.
“It will not be limited to those three, but those three will continue to be fundamental to the government. So, if you want to objectively compare now to May 2015 when this government came, the security, you will know that there is a big and wide difference. Yes, there are still challenges, but then, those challenges are being tackled.”
He said the government is not in denial about the security challenges in some parts of the country.
Speaking on the election of some All Progressives Congress (APC) members facing corruption charges, Adesina argued that facing corruption charges is not the same as being convicted for corruption.
He explained that such persons must have been adjudged as corrupt before the tag of being corrupt can be stamped on them.
He said being prosecuted is not the same thing as being corrupt, adding that some people who had been accused in the past had ended up being acquitted and discharged.
“Acquitted means they can’t be tried again. Those allegations cannot be brought up again. There will be no substance to them. So, the fact that you are being tried does not mean you are already corrupt. The law does not work that way. The law states that when you are pronounced guilty, and you have gone through all relevant courts and at the end of the day the courts have said guilty, that is when you are a guilty man,” he stressed.
