Presidency says Buhari not a rubber stamp president, explains delay in some appointments

The Presidency on Sunday said President Muhammadu Buhari was not a rubber stamp who will mechanistically sign off on nominees that come before him while making appointments on the recommendations of other arms or agencies of government.

Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, made the announcement in a statement in Abuja.

The presidential aide was reacting to views being expressed in some quarters on pending appointments in the nation’s judicial arm of government.

According to Shehu, the president has a duty to ensure that such appointments meet the requirements of the constitution in protecting the supreme law of the land.

He added that the president had an obligation to allow law enforcement and security agencies to do their work.

“Don’t forget our recent experience with ministers who were signed off upon and turned out as having not undertaken the compulsory National Youth Service, just to give you an example.

“In the specific case of the Acting President of the Court of Appeal, Her Lordship Justice M.S. Dongban-Mensem, the statutory regulatory time of her acting period has not lapsed.

“This is not about ethnicity or religion. It is about security and law enforcement agencies being allowed to complete their work. Nobody should seek to stampede the president in carrying out his constitutional duty in this respect.

“The president had not been a rubber stamp dealing with these matters before and is not prepared to be one at this time.

“Let all allow the system to do what is right,’’ he said.