President’s return will douse tension – CSO

Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), says President Muhammadu Buhari’s return from his medical vacation will douse built-up tension in the country.

According to Executive Secretary of the CSO, Mr Dennis Aghanya, the president’s return will also stabilise the polity.

Buhari, who left the country on May 7 for medical treatment in London, returned on Saturday to rousing welcome by Nigerians.

His long absence, which lasted 103 days, stirred controversies, including call for his resignation if he would not return to resume his duties.

Aghanya told our reporter in Abuja on Sunday that Nigerians will now be calm and people will go about their businesses normally.

“It is a wonderful thing that the president is back; no matter how the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has been acting, the president is the president; there is much difference.

“This is because there are things the acting president could not have done no matter how empowered he is because as long as the president is still alive, there are certain decisions he could not have taken.

“So, with the return of the president now, everything will stabilise and governance will take off on its normal note.

“His return will also help to douse certain tension like you saw what happened about the people agitating over his absence, which almost degenerated into ethnic misunderstanding; so, many things will be settled,’’ he said.

He added that the president’s return “is a welcome development; we give all the glory to God and may God continue to strengthen him because the act of governing the country is not easy.

“We pray that God gives him the strength to meet up with the demands of governance.’’