by Alexander O. Onukwue

The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, has returned from a quick jog to London to meet President Muhammadu Buhari, with good news about the President’s health.

Prof Osinbajo says he had a good lengthy conversation with Buhari, lasting over an hour. He says Buhari was in high spirits and is recuperating fast. Basically, it was all sunshine in the cold city.

There are no other details on the nature of the meeting on the content of the conversation between the two. Seun Okin of Channels TV tweeted that they “didn’t discuss swearing-in of Ministers”, which is an interesting one if you think about it. Because it is on the list of the following four things the Acting President should, as of necessity, have had to discuss with Buhari:

Releasing the Babachir report

The report on the suspended Secretary to the Federal Government, Babachir Lawal is now at least 10 weeks overdue for submission. Lawal has been on suspension for investigations to be made by a panel set up by President Buhari in April on the diversion of about N200m for IDPs. No case has been brought against both Lawal and Ambassador Ayo Oke of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) for the matter against them by Prof Osinbajo as Acting President, and the thoughts of some is that Osinbajo would not want to go against Buhari who had instituted the Osinbajo panel. Did he get permission to proceed?

Confirm Ibrahim Magu

Osinbajo would probably have brought up the issue of Femi Falana’s interpretation of the Constitution on whether there was a need to ask for the Senate’s blessing for Magu to become the substantive EFCC Chairman. Osinbajo and Buhari appear united on the issue of anti-corruption and if Osinbajo found it necessary to publicly agree with Falana, he will very likely pass on the suggestion to his boss.

…or work on another name

Alternatively, Osinbajo may have asked Buhari if they could begin considering other names. To be sure, the Acting President had stressed that Magu would continue to be their choice for the position, but will it really be worth for the Buhari administration to hinge its relationship with the Senate on a particular personality? It’s not like the matter that has made Magu questioned is not the doing of an agency of the Presidency too.

Shuffle the Cabinet

The Ministry of Environment, after the departure of Amina Mohammed to the United Nations, have not had a main Minister, so this may have been the reason for the “swearing in” part of Seun’s tweet. However, that the subject of Ministers was mentioned means there are possibly house rats (yea, we still in Animal Farm mode) that need to be cleared away. If that is one of Buhari’s top priorities when he comes back, we really cannot wait.