Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has raised concerns about President Bola Tinubu's prolonged absence from Nigeria, questioning who is currently in charge of the country. Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for a three-week annual vacation, but 21 days have passed without a clear indication of who is exercising presidential authority. Atiku, who was Vice-President from 1999 to 2007, emphasized that Nigerians are entitled to seek clarification on the constitutional arrangements governing the President's absence.
According to Section 145 of the Constitution, the President must transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives when proceeding on vacation, allowing the Vice-President to perform the functions of President as Acting President. Atiku stated that President Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30, but no written declaration has been shown, transmitting presidential authority to Vice-President Kashim Shettima. He urged the Presidency to publish the declaration immediately if it exists.
Atiku further argued that if no declaration was transmitted within the prescribed period, the National Assembly should explain why the procedure under Section 145(2) has not been activated. He emphasized that this is not a matter of political convenience but a matter of constitutional order. The former Vice-President also drew attention to Shettima's presence in New York, representing Tinubu at the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The situation has raised concerns about the governance of Nigeria, with Atiku stating that the country cannot be governed through assumptions or informal indications of presidential activity while the President remains abroad. He cited the deaths of 37 Nigerians in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State, as well as rising petrol prices and economic pressures facing Nigerians.
Atiku also referred to Tinubu's private dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, arguing that diplomatic engagements abroad should not obscure the need for clarity over the exercise of presidential powers. He emphasized that the Constitution does not recognize a 'working vacation' as an alternative system of presidential succession and that the procedure must be obeyed.
Atiku called on the Presidency to disclose whether Tinubu transmitted the declaration contemplated by Section 145(1) before leaving the country. He also urged the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to state whether they received such a communication. If no declaration was transmitted, the National Assembly must explain why the procedure provided by Section 145(2) has not been activated.
The former Vice-President concluded that Nigerians deserve clear and constitutionally grounded leadership amid economic hardship, rising energy costs, security challenges, and the deaths of citizens in government custody. He emphasized that Nigeria is bigger than any President and that the country deserves visible, accountable, and constitutionally grounded leadership.
Key points
- Atiku Abubakar questions President Tinubu's continued absence from Nigeria, citing constitutional concerns.
- The former Vice-President emphasizes that Nigerians are entitled to seek clarification on the constitutional arrangements governing the President's absence.
- Atiku urges the Presidency to disclose whether Tinubu transmitted the declaration contemplated by Section 145(1) before leaving the country.
