Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has asked the Presidency and National Assembly to clarify who is exercising presidential powers as President Bola Tinubu’s extended stay in Europe runs beyond the three-week vacation initially announced.
Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for what the Presidency described as a three-week working vacation. The Presidency announced on Monday that he had extended the trip by a few days and was expected back in Nigeria at the weekend.
Atiku, in a statement titled “Who is in Charge of Nigeria?”, based his concerns on Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for the transmission of a written declaration to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives when the President proceeds on vacation.
He argued that Nigerians had not been shown such a declaration transferring presidential functions to Vice President Kashim Shettima.
According to Atiku, the constitutional provision also sets out a procedure where no declaration is transmitted within 21 days, arguing that the National Assembly should explain whether that mechanism has been triggered.
“If such a letter exists, the Presidency should publish it immediately,” Atiku said, while also asking the Senate President and Speaker to confirm whether they received any communication from Tinubu.
The former vice president further pointed to Shettima’s presence in New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly, meaning both the President and Vice President are currently outside Nigeria. Recent reports confirm Shettima is representing Tinubu at the UN gathering.
Atiku described the issue as one of constitutional procedure rather than political convenience, arguing that presidential authority should be exercised under clearly established constitutional arrangements.
“Nigeria cannot be governed by assumptions. It cannot be governed by presidential social-media posts from Europe,” he said.
He also cited the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in NSCDC custody in Minna and rising energy costs as developments requiring accountable leadership.
“These are not ordinary times. Yet the President is abroad. The Vice President is abroad. The Senate President is abroad,” Atiku said.
He therefore urged the Presidency to disclose whether Tinubu transmitted the declaration contemplated under Section 145(1), while asking the National Assembly to explain its position if no such communication was received.
“The question will not disappear: Who, constitutionally, is in charge of Nigeria?” Atiku said.
Atiku questions presidential authority as Tinubu extends European vacation
