Festus Keyamo, minister of state for labour and employment, says the 1999 constitution allows the vice-presidential to address security challenges facing the country<\/p>\n
Speaking at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference in Lagos recently, Kashim Shettima, vice-presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had said if his party wins, he will focus on security, while Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, will concentrate on the economy.<\/p>\n
Ifeanyi Okowa<\/a>, governor of Delta and vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while reacting to Shettima\u2019s comment, had said it would be \u201cabsurd\u201d for a vice-president to take charge of the nation\u2019s security.<\/p>\n According to Okowa, security matters are the responsibility of the president as the commander-in-chief who presides over the security council.<\/p>\n But Keyamo faulted the PDP vice-presidential candidate\u2019s position, saying Nigerian constitution does not doesn\u2019t stop the vice-president from handling security matters.<\/p>\n In a Twitter post on Wednesday, Keyamo noted that since the president can assign any responsibility to his deputy, it will not be absurd for a vice-president to handle security matters.<\/p>\n \u201cI respectfully disagree, your Excellency. Under the 1999 Constitution, the President may assign any responsibility within his purview to either his VP or Ministers,\u201d Keyamo wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cThis may include some aspects of security issues too. That is why, for instance, you have a Minister of Defence.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is possible, your Excellency, that in the well-known forward-thinking nature of Bola Tinubu, possible assignment of some responsibilities in this regard have been discussed with his VP-to-be & H.E Shettima just can\u2019t wait to hit the ground running. This is not absurd, sir.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen H.E Shettima says \u2018taking charge\u2019, it\u2019s in the context of discharging responsibilities assigned to him by Bola Tinubu.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he will report back to his boss just as your principal Atiku Abubakar was reporting to Obasanjo since he wasn\u2019t in a position to make any final decision.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. It is possible, your Excellency, that in the well-known forward-thinking nature of @officialABAT<\/a>, possible assignment of some responsibilities in this regard have been discussed with his VP-to-be & H.E Shettima just can\u2019t wait to hit the ground running. This is not absurd, sir<\/p>\n — Festus Keyamo, SAN, CON, FCIArb (UK) (@fkeyamo) August 31, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n