On Monday, the 2017 Appropriation Bill was signed into law by Acting President Yemi Osibanjo — one month and one day after it was passed by the National Assembly.

Here are the defining moments of the month-long wait:

BUHARI’S INDEFINITE MEDICAL TRIP

One week before the budget was passed, President Muhammadu Buhari travelled to London for an indefinite medical examination, 57 days after he returned to the country after a 49-day medical vacation in London.

His last official assignment before the trip was hosting the 82 Chibok girls released by Boko Haram. Of his next official assignments, the most important would have been budget assent, but the president’s health was failing and delay was too dangerous. Puzzle enthroned: who assents to the bill in the president’s absence?

ACTING — SORRY — COORDINATING PRESIDENT OSINBAJO

It didn’t take long for us to know we were in real trouble. Just three days before the National Assembly passed the budget, a letter from the “presidency” to the senate transferring power to Osinbajo was read on the floor of the Senate. It contained a curious phrase that generated the controversy.

When Buhari first travelled to the UK, he had written to the senate: “In compliance with section 145 (1) of the 1999 constitution as amended, I wish to inform the distinguished senate that I will be away for a short medical vacation from Monday, January, 23 to February 6th, 2017 and while I am away, the vice-president (Osinbajo) will perform the functions of my office.

But this time around, his letter read:  “I wish to inform the distinguished senate that I will be away for a scheduled medical follow-up with my doctors in London. The length of my stay will be determined by the doctors’ advice. While I am away, the vice-president will coordinate the activities of the government.”

From “performing the functions of my office”, Buhari had demoted (literally so) Osinbajo to “coordinating the activities of the government”. Did we say ‘Buhari’? We could swear Buhari didn’t know Jack about the wording of that letter; and those who knew remained in the presidency. There was no way they would allow a coordinating official sign the budget!

OSINBAJO’S LONG WAIT TO RECEIVE THE BUDGET

For eight days, Osinbajo did not receive the copy of the budget passed by the National Assembly.

On May 19, when the acting president finally received a copy, the presidency explained that ministries, agencies, and departments needed to examine the document before it would be signed into law.

HERE’S THE BUDGET — BUT WHO WILL SIGN?

Two days earlier at the end of the weekly federal executive council meeting, Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, had caused furor over the identity of the person to sign the budget.

Responding to a question by a journalist, he said the decision on who would sign the document between Osinbajo and Buhari would be taken at the appropriate time.

Mohammed later denied making the statement and insisted that he was misrepresented by the media reports.

Segun Adeyemi, his special adviser on media, would later say: “When the Minister was asked a question relating to the signing of the 2017 budget, his response was: ‘When it is transmitted to the Presidency, the issue will be addressed.'”

But Laolu Akande, Osinbajo’s spokesman, had something entirely different to say: “Just so we are clear: when the time comes, everything is set, and he is satisfied, Ag. President Yemi Osinbajo will assent to the 2017 Budget.”

We didn’t need to be told there was a superiority tussle going on: Osinbajo has the powers to sign the budget. No, he doesn’t. No! Yes!

SHIFTING DATES OF BUDGET SIGNING

The appropriation bill was slated to be signed by Osinbajo on June 3 but it was postponed, fuelling speculation that the presidency would reject the budget.

Solomon Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), tried to allay such fears whens he said: “The Presidency is working within the constitutional time-frame required to process details of the 2017 budget passed by the National Assembly. There is no such plan by it to reject the 2017 budget passed by the National Assembly as alleged in some reports. The Presidency can only assent to the budget or withhold assent as the case may be.”

Then, Orji Uzor Kalu, former Abia State governor, entered the scene on June 4 when he said he had visited Buhari and his health had improved considerably; he was so sure the president would return before June 11. But the president didn’t.

However, by weekend, it had emerged that Buhari had given Osinbajo the go-ahead to sign the budget.

“Following the receipt of a full brief on the 2017 Appropriation Bill as passed by the National Assembly, and to buttress the unity at the highest level of government, President Muhammadu Buhari has indicated that it is in the interest of the nation’s economy for the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to sign the Appropriation Bill into law,” Garba Shehu, Buhari’s spokesman, said.

With the budget now receiving presidential assent, attention shifts to what percentage of it will be implemented in 2017, with nearly half the year already gone.