Senate President Godswill Akpabio has rejected suggestions that Nigeria is facing a leadership vacuum because President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has remained outside the country during his extended working vacation.
Akpabio said Tinubu was still exercising presidential authority and directing the affairs of government despite being abroad, insisting that his absence from Nigeria did not amount to a vacancy in the presidency.
The Senate president made the remarks on Tuesday in Akwa Ibom State while attending the commissioning of road projects executed by Governor Umo Eno. His comments came amid renewed public debate over Tinubu’s prolonged stay outside Nigeria and the simultaneous absence of Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Akpabio rejects claims he is acting president
Akpabio also clarified that he was not performing the functions of acting president.
According to him, Tinubu remained the president and had continued to oversee the administration from abroad. He argued that modern communication technology makes it possible for a president to issue instructions and remain involved in government business without being physically present in the country.
Akpabio said there was therefore no basis for describing the situation as an absence of presidential authority.
He also pointed to Tinubu’s recent diplomatic activities as evidence of his continued engagement. Among the engagements he mentioned was Tinubu’s interaction with French President Emmanuel Macron while the Nigerian president was in France.
Tinubu’s working vacation extended
Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for what the Presidency initially described as a three-week working vacation. The Presidency subsequently announced that the president would remain abroad for a few additional days before returning to Nigeria this weekend.
During his time outside the country, Tinubu has continued to issue directives on domestic matters, according to the Presidency.
One example cited by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga was the president’s directive for an independent investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died after being detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has also represented Tinubu at official engagements during the president’s absence. Shettima travelled to New York to represent Nigeria at the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
Debate over presidential powers
The controversy surrounding Tinubu’s absence has centred partly on whether a formal transfer of presidential functions to Shettima was required.
Akpabio maintained that there was no vacancy in the presidency and that Tinubu remained in charge of the federal government.
However, opposition figures have raised questions about the constitutional procedure governing presidential absence. The African Democratic Congress, for example, has called for clarification on whether the requirements contained in Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution have been followed.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has similarly questioned who is constitutionally exercising presidential authority while both Tinubu and Shettima are outside Nigeria. His position is that the constitutional provisions on presidential absence should be publicly clarified.
Akpabio maintains there is no leadership vacuum
Despite the criticism, Akpabio has remained firm in his position that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock.
He said Tinubu was still running the affairs of Nigeria and could communicate decisions from abroad. He further noted that the president remained engaged with government and diplomatic matters despite his physical absence from the country.
The Presidency has also said Tinubu remains involved in governance and is expected back in Nigeria this weekend.
The debate, however, continues to focus on the constitutional implications of the president’s extended absence and the circumstances under which presidential responsibilities should formally be transferred to the vice president.
For now, Akpabio’s position is that Tinubu remains firmly in office and that Nigeria’s presidency has not become vacant.
