Who is in charge of Nigeria?’ — Atiku, PDP fault Tinubu’s extended vacation

BY BONNY AMADI

Nigeria’s former vice president Atiku Abubakar and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have questioned President Bola Tinubu’s absence from the country, demanding clarification on who is constitutionally exercising presidential powers.

Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for London, where he began what the country’s presidency described as a working vacation. After spending a week in the UK, he travelled to Paris, France.

On Monday, 21st September, Tinubu extended his overseas vacation by a few days and is expected to return to Nigeria by the weekend.

In a statement issued on Monday, Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) standard-bearer, cited section 145 of the 1999 constitution, which requires the president to transmit a written declaration to the president of the senate and speaker of the house of representatives when proceeding on vacation, allowing the vice-president to assume the functions of president as acting president.

The situation is made even more disturbing by the fact that Vice President Shettima is himself presently in New York representing Nigeria at the United Nations General Assembly — the third consecutive UN General Assembly at which President Tinubu has delegated Nigeria’s representation to his deputy.

“So again: who is exercising presidential authority in Nigeria today, and under what constitutional instrument? Nigeria cannot be governed by assumptions. It cannot be governed by presidential social media posts from Europe. It cannot be governed by photographs from private dinners at the Élysée Palace. It cannot be governed on autopilot.

Atiku said if the president is unable or fails to transmit the written declaration within 21 days, the national assembly is required to mandate the vice-president to perform the functions of president in an acting capacity.

“Today, Nigerians are entitled to ask a very simple constitutional question: Who is in charge of Nigeria? Section 145 of the Constitution is not ambiguous about presidential vacations. This is not a matter of political convenience. It is a matter of constitutional order,” Atiku said.

The situation is made even more disturbing by the fact that Vice President Shettima is himself presently in New York representing Nigeria at the United Nations General Assembly — the third consecutive UN General Assembly at which President Tinubu has delegated Nigeria’s representation to his deputy.

“So again: who is exercising presidential authority in Nigeria today, and under what constitutional instrument? Nigeria cannot be governed by assumptions. It cannot be governed by presidential social media posts from Europe. It cannot be governed by photographs from private dinners at the Élysée Palace. It cannot be governed on autopilot.