There appears a leadership vacuum in Nigeria with the absence from the country of President Bola Tinubu, Vice Kashim Shettima and the Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The development has sparked reactions from concerned members of the public and opposition figures as well.
Among prominent Nigerians who have raised concerns over the matter included former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who has questioned President Tinubu’s prolonged absence from the country since August 30 for a three-week vacation in Europe.
The three weeks expired on Sunday, September 20 but the President has not returned to the country.
Also, Vice President Shettima left Nigeria on Sunday, September 20 for the United States, as leader of Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) currently taking place in New York.
Similarly, Akpabio is also away in Rome, Italy where he said he was on a mission to “pray for Nigeria.”
Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution, which provides that when the President proceeds on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, he is to transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, after which the Vice President performs the functions of President as Acting President.
The Constitution further provides that where the President is unable or fails to transmit the required declaration within 21 days, the National Assembly shall, by a simple majority in each chamber, mandate the Vice President to perform the functions of President as Acting President.
Atiku Abubakar, in a statement on Monday, noted that the Presidency had not made public any such declaration from Tinubu transferring presidential functions to Shettima.
The presidential candidate of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2027 election, further said
the situation raised a simple constitutional question of who is in charge of Nigeria.
Basing his argument on the stated constitutional provisions, Atiku said the Presidency had not made public any such declaration from Tinubu transferring presidential functions to Shettima.
“President Tinubu left Nigeria on 30 August. The Presidency publicly announced a three-week vacation. Yet, to date, Nigerians have not been shown any constitutional letter transmitting presidential authority to Vice President Kashim Shettima,” he said.
He challenged the Presidency to publish the document if it exists, arguing that failure to do so would require the National Assembly to explain its position on the constitutional procedure.
“If such a letter exists, the Presidency should publish it immediately,” Atiku said. “If it does not, then the constitutional mechanism contemplated by Section 145(2) has been triggered, and the National Assembly owes Nigerians an explanation as to why it has not acted,” he added.
Atiku also drew attention to the absence of Akpabio from Nigeria, noting that the simultaneous absence of the President, Vice President and President of the Senate had heightened questions about the country’s constitutional chain of authority.
The former Vice President linked his concerns to recent developments at home, including the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)
in Minna, Niger State.
The incident has prompted investigations and calls for an independent and transparent probe.
The former vice president also cited rising petrol prices, which have reached about N1,500 per litre in some parts of the country.
Atiku argued that such developments made the question of who is constitutionally exercising presidential authority more urgent.
“This is not a matter of political convenience. It is a matter of constitutional order,” he said.
He called on the Presidency to clarify whether Tinubu transmitted the declaration contemplated under Section 145(1) before leaving Nigeria, and urged the Senate President and Speaker of the House to state whether they received such communication.
The ADC presidential candidate further urged the National Assembly to explain its position if no declaration was transmitted within the stipulated period.
“Nigeria is bigger than any President,” Atiku said, adding that the country, amid economic hardship, rising energy costs, security challenges and the deaths of citizens in government custody, deserved “visible, accountable and constitutionally grounded leadership.”
“The question will not disappear: Who, constitutionally, is in charge of Nigeria?” he said.
(The Whistler)
