President Muhammadu Buhari says he decided not tohand over power to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo when he travelled to the UnitedKingdom on a private visit from April 25th to May 5th, 2019, because there wasno constitutional requirement for him to do so. The President further stated that the only time heneeds to hand over to Osinbajo is when he is proceeding on leave or going to beout of the country for more than 21 days. Buhari said this in a six-paragraphcounter-affidavit deposed on his behalf by a litigation officer in the CivilLitigation Department of the Federal Ministry of Justice Friday Atu. A Lagos-based lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, sued Buhariand the attorney-general of the federation over the President’s failure to handover power to Osinbajo in April. In his response, however, Buhari stated that theNigerian Constitution does not make it mandatory for him to transmit a writtendeclaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives to enable the Vice President to act as President except whenhis vacation exceeds 21 days.