The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has demanded an immediate explanation from the Presidency over President Bola Tinubu’s continued absence from Nigeria, six days after the expiration of his initially announced three-week vacation.
The ADC PCC, in a statement on Sunday signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Tinubu had yet to return to the country as of September 27, despite the vacation reportedly scheduled to end on September 21.
The campaign council said the Presidency owed Nigerians “a clear and transparent explanation” about the President’s whereabouts and the circumstances surrounding the extension of his stay abroad.
“The office of the President is a public trust. Nigerians who elected President Tinubu are entitled to know where their President is and, more importantly, who is exercising presidential authority while he remains outside the country,” the statement said.
The ADC said the issue was particularly important given the economic pressures, hardship and security challenges confronting the country.
“The country cannot afford uncertainty at the highest level of government,” it said.
The opposition party called on the Presidency to provide “clear, verifiable information” on Tinubu’s current location, the reason for his prolonged absence and the constitutional arrangements governing the administration of the country during the period.
It also asked the Presidency to clarify the status of the President’s vacation and the constitutional basis for the current arrangement, particularly as his absence had extended beyond the period earlier communicated to Nigerians.
The ADC further expressed concern over the reported extension of the President’s vacation and the directive for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, to continue representing him at official functions.
According to the party, such administrative explanations do not resolve what it described as the fundamental question of “who is constitutionally and effectively in charge of the affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria while the President remains away?”
The ADC said Nigerians deserved “openness, not secrecy,” arguing that presidential movements and the exercise of executive authority could not be treated as matters of private convenience when they concerned the governance of the country.
“President Tinubu was elected to lead Nigeria, and Nigerians have a legitimate expectation that the Presidency will keep them adequately informed about matters affecting the exercise of presidential authority,” the statement added.
The ADC urged the Presidency to immediately provide a “comprehensive and unambiguous explanation,” warning that continued silence could deepen public anxiety and fuel speculation.
Public affairs analysts have accused President Tinubu of acting in violation of Section 145(1) of the Nigerian Constitution requiring him to transmit a written declaration to the leadership of the National Assembly when proceeding on vacation or unable to discharge official functions, to enable the Vice-President to assume duties as Acting President.
Specifically, Section 145(2) gives a 21-day timeline, for the National Assembly, through a majority vote in the two chambers, declare the Vice President as Acting President pending the arrival of the President.
President Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for an initial three-week vacation, but has yet to return as of Sunday, September 27, precisely 28 days after he left the country.
