TINUBU TO RETURN TO NIGERIA SUNDAY AFTER EXTENDED WORKING VACATION

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By ‘Balogun Ibrahim

President Bola Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria on Sunday following his extended working vacation in Europe, according to sources familiar with his itinerary.

Presidency sources said Tinubu is expected to arrive in Lagos, where he may remain for about a week before returning to Abuja.

Tinubu departed Nigeria for London on August 30, with the presidency describing the trip as a three-week working vacation as part of his annual leave. He later travelled to Paris, France, after spending about a week in the United Kingdom.

On September 21, the presidency announced that Tinubu had extended his stay abroad by a few days and would return to Nigeria at the weekend.

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According to the presidency, the president has remained in contact with government officials in Nigeria and continued to oversee the affairs of government while abroad.

His prolonged absence has also triggered a constitutional debate over whether presidential powers should have been formally transferred to Vice-President Kashim Shettima after Tinubu spent more than 21 days outside the country.

On Wednesday, some members of the House of Representatives under the Save Democracy Group called on the National Assembly to reconvene from its annual recess and examine whether Tinubu had complied with the constitutional requirements governing his absence.

The lawmakers asked the Senate President and Speaker of the House to clarify whether Tinubu had submitted the written declaration required under Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.

Section 145(1) states that a president proceeding on vacation is required to transmit a written declaration to the Senate President and Speaker of the House, after which the vice-president performs the functions of president in an acting capacity.

Section 145(2) further provides that the National Assembly may empower the vice-president to act as president if the president is unable or fails to transmit the declaration within 21 days.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party led by Kabiru Turaki, and the African Democratic Congress have also raised questions about Tinubu’s extended stay abroad and sought clarification on the exercise of presidential powers during his absence.

However, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said on Tuesday that there was no vacancy in Aso Rock, maintaining that Tinubu remained in charge of the country’s affairs despite being abroad.

Akpabio said the president’s absence from Nigeria should not be interpreted as a transfer of power or a presidential vacancy.

Meanwhile, Shettima travelled to New York on September 20 to represent Tinubu at the 81st United Nations General Assembly.

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