ADC WARNS OF ‘DANGEROUS PRECEDENT’ OVER TINUBU, SHETTIMA’S ABSENCE

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By ‘Sefiu Ajape

The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, Bolaji Abdullahi, has criticised the absence of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima from Nigeria, describing the situation as a “very dangerous precedent.”

Tinubu has been out of the country since August 30 on a working vacation, while Shettima left Abuja on September 20 for New York to represent the President at the 81st United Nations General Assembly.

The Presidency has maintained that the absence of both men has not disrupted governance, saying Tinubu remains in touch with developments at home and continues to direct the affairs of government. It also said Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, would continue to represent the President at some official events while Shettima is in New York.

However, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Abdullahi questioned the constitutional basis for Akume’s representation of the President in the absence of both Tinubu and Shettima.

“Is SGF Akume now the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? Is that what they are telling us? Is it the chain of succession that is spelt out by the Nigerian Constitution? Is the SGF, an appointee of the president, the one who should be in charge of the country when the president and vice president are not around?

“They insult the sensibility of Nigerians, they insult the Constitution, they behave as if Nigerian will cease to exist after this after them. What they are doing is dangerous and they should realise that this will end one day. They are setting a very dangerous precedent, nobody is in charge of Nigeria now,” Abdullahi said.

The ADC spokesperson also argued that the Constitution does not recognise a “working vacation” for the President in which a Nigerian president can “relocate to another country.”

Section 145 of the Constitution provides for the Vice President to perform the functions of the President as Acting President when the President transmits a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge his functions. It also provides for the National Assembly to mandate the Vice President to act if the President fails to transmit the declaration within 21 days.

Abdullahi said the circumstances warranted the National Assembly reconvening from its recess to address the situation.

He, however, alleged that the lawmakers would not reconvene because, in his view, they were too closely aligned with President Tinubu.