By Dipo Olowookere
What could have resulted into a democratic coup was today thwarted at the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly by the Senate President, Mr Bukola Saraki.
At the plenary on Tuesday, a lawmaker from Abia State, Mr Eyinanya Abaribe, raised a motion claiming Nigeria was without a President or an Acting President.
He told his colleagues that President Muhammadu Buhari was out of the country just like his Vice, the acting President, Mr Yemi Osinbajo, who he handed over power to in about two months ago when he travelled to London for medical vacation.
Mr Osinbajo was in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia on Tuesday to represent Nigeria at an AU meeting.
But when Mr Abaribe raised his motion, another Senator, Mr Kabiru Marafa, raised a point of order from Rule 53 (4) of the Senate standing rules.
He said if the President was not around, the constitution gives his Vice the power to take charge of the country and that in the event the Vice was also not around, the Senate President was empower by law to act as President.
But Senate President knocked this out and ruled it out of order. He then moved on to discuss the matter already being debated by the Senate.
