UK, US, France advising Buhari to resign, hold talk in Paris?

The United Kingdom (UK), United States (US) and France were gathered to be purportedly advising President Muhammadu Buhari to resign from office following noticeable inability to provide leadership for the government of Nigeria and the attendant economic and security crises. Sources from the Nigerian presidency, who sought anonymity, disclosed that the three nations have been purportedly deliberating on the health of the president which they considered a major factor constraining him from effective leadership of the country. The presidency sources further disclosed that President Buhari who departed Nigeria for France on Sunday may be holding talks in Paris with the medical team from Britain on his health situation in order to consider his capacity to continue in office. The British medical team were alleged to have been advising the president to resign on health ground and may be moving into Paris for consultation with the president.

It was also disclosed that Paris was chosen for the talks with the Nigerian president to avoid the controversies that the president’s travel to London may generate.

The UK, US and France were said to have frowned at the frequency of kidnapping in Nigeria by bandits and the processes that some governors and leaders in the north adopt to secure the release of schools after days or weeks of the kidnap and the ransom paid for their freedom. They were also said to be uncomfortable with the roles of certain non-state actors in the negotiation for the release of kidnapped victims after ransom payment, noting that such practice may be contributing to the consistent kidnapping which the Nigerian government has been finding difficult to tackle. The big powers were further said to be disturbed by the lingering insecurity crisis which have been affecting the economy, complaining that the deteriorating situation has been affecting their investments and business interests in Nigeria. They were said to have the belief that the president may have lost control of the government due to his health situation.

The presidency sources disclosed that the three big powers purportedly held similar consultation with former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 before the general elections where they were alleged to have told the former president to leave office. They were said to have acknowledged during the consultation with the former Nigerian president that they were aware that a general election was going to be held but insisted that he should leave office after the election (notwithstanding the result), allegedly threatening that if he had remained after the elections, they cannot say what would follow.

The three nations were said to be complaining that things were bad before 2015 which made them move for the former President’s exit from office, but that the situation is worse now multiple folds under the current leadership.

The US government was, particularly, said to be highly perturbed about the security collapse, including economic decay in Nigeria precipitated by the lingering insecurity across the country.

Meanwhile, President Buhari is in Paris attending the African Finance summit convened by the French President, as indicated by the presidency.