The Convener of the Arewa Think Tank, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, has dismissed concerns over President Bola Tinubu's continued stay abroad, insisting that there is neither a leadership vacuum nor a constitutional breach. Yakubu emphasized that Tinubu remained in charge of the country and continued to perform his presidential duties while on his working vacation.
Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for a three-week annual leave in Europe, initially announced by the Presidency as a vacation, with London as his first destination. The Presidency subsequently described the trip as a working vacation. On September 21, the State House announced that the President had extended his stay by a few days and would return to Nigeria at the weekend.
According to Yakubu, the president's engagements while abroad demonstrate that he has remained active in the discharge of his responsibilities. He cited Tinubu's recent engagements in Paris, including his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and discussions with businessman Vincent Bolloré on investment and Nigeria's creative and digital economy.
The State House confirmed that Tinubu met Bolloré in Paris on September 18, while the Presidency also said the French President received Tinubu for a private dinner. Yakubu said the engagements showed that the president was not merely away on a private holiday but remained involved in matters of state.
Yakubu also pointed to the position attributed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio on the question of presidential authority during Tinubu's absence. Akpabio was quoted as saying that there was no absence in Aso Rock, as the President was still in power and on a working leave.
Yakubu argued that the position settled what he described as unnecessary speculation about who was exercising presidential authority. He defended Tinubu's decision to delegate Vice President Kashim Shettima to represent Nigeria at international engagements, describing the arrangement as evidence of coordination within the Presidency.
Yakubu further rejected arguments that Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution had been triggered by Tinubu's absence, stating that the President was able, capable, and performing his functions, and had not transmitted any inability. Therefore, there was no constitutional crisis, and the vice president was performing his assigned role with the full mandate of his principal.
Key points
- The Arewa Think Tank leader, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, emphasized that President Tinubu remained in charge of the country despite his continued stay abroad.
- Yakubu cited Tinubu's recent engagements in Paris, including his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, as evidence that the president remained active in the discharge of his responsibilities.
- The Arewa Think Tank leader rejected arguments that Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution had been triggered by Tinubu's absence.
