Tinubu’s vacation: Who is in charge of Nigeria? Atiku asks
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised concerns regarding the constitutional authority in Nigeria as President Bola Tinubu continues his extended vacation abroad. Tinubu departed Nigeria on August 30 for what the Presidency described as a three-week working vacation in Europe, a period that, according to a Monday announcement, has since been prolonged by a few days, with his return now expected this weekend.
In a recent statement titled “Who is in Charge of Nigeria?”, Abubakar referenced Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates the President to notify the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House before going on vacation. This communication enables the Vice President to assume presidential functions temporarily.
Abubakar stated that there has been no evidence of such communication granting Vice President Kashim Shettima the necessary authority. “Twenty-one days have come and gone since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu left Nigeria on what the Presidency described as a three-week annual vacation,” he noted, questioning, “Who is in charge of Nigeria?”
The former Vice President further emphasized that if no declaration was transmitted within the stipulated 21 days, Section 145(2) allows the National Assembly to authorize the Vice President to assume the role of Acting President. He called on the Presidency to provide the letter confirming Tinubu’s absence and urged the National Assembly to clarify why the constitutional procedure has not been activated if no such declaration exists.
“If such a letter exists, the Presidency should publish it immediately,” Abubakar said.
He also highlighted the simultaneous absence of both Tinubu and Shettima, with the Vice President currently in New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly. “So again: who is exercising presidential authority in Nigeria today, and under what constitutional instrument?” Abubakar asked, asserting that the issue transcends political convenience and is fundamentally about maintaining constitutional order.
Abubakar expressed concerns regarding the current socioeconomic climate, pointing to the recent deaths of 37 Nigerians while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna and the rising cost of petrol. “These are not ordinary times. Yet the President is abroad. The Vice President is abroad. The Senate President is abroad,” he remarked.
He called upon the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House to verify whether they have received any communication from Tinubu under Section 145(1). Abubakar concluded by stating, “Nigeria is bigger than any President. At a time of severe economic hardship, rising energy costs, security challenges, and the shocking deaths of citizens in government custody, the country deserves visible, accountable, and constitutionally grounded leadership.”
“The question will not disappear: Who, constitutionally, is in charge of Nigeria?”
