Do the Rightly Guided Caliphs have a Sunnah to be followed?

The questioner : He says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs." Do we understand from this that the Rightly Guided Caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them all) have a Sunnah to be followed distinct from the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), because they are guided and protected, or what?

The Shaykh : And what is the meaning of our saying that they have a Sunnah to be followed? The meaning is that the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is undoubtedly the one to be followed. As for the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, if it happens to contradict his Sunnah, then the Sunnah of the Messenger takes precedence. But if there is a matter for which no explicit text or known Sunnah has come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Rightly Guided Caliphs established it as a Sunnah, then it is to be followed. For example, the first adhan on Friday is from the Sunnah of 'Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him); it did not come as a Sunnah from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so it is followed. What? The Caliphs. We know that if they differed, the correct opinion is the one supported by the text.