The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s continued stay in France while his French counterpart, President Emmanuel Macron, is in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Tinubu is currently on annual vacation in Europe and delegated Vice-President Kashim Shettima to represent him at the global gathering. It is the third consecutive UNGA that Shettima has attended on behalf of the President.
In a statement, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the situation as a “national disgrace”, arguing that Macron’s departure for New York highlighted what the party considered an inappropriate absence by the Nigerian President.
“The irony would be amusing if it were not a national disgrace. At a time when world leaders are advancing their countries’ interests at the United Nations General Assembly, Nigeria’s President is holed up in the French capital while his host has left to pursue his own country’s national interest.
“President Tinubu cannot be vacationing in Paris while President Macron is in New York representing France and expect Nigerians to accept that it is okay for their President to continue to hang around in a country after the host has left to attend to more important things. This is not merely poor optics. It is a national embarrassment,” he said.
Abdullahi also questioned the constitutional implications of the simultaneous absence of Tinubu and Shettima from Nigeria, describing it as a “dangerous disregard for the Constitution”.
He said the situation was particularly concerning amid what he described as worsening insecurity, unemployment and the cost-of-living crisis facing Nigerians.
The ADC spokesman challenged the Presidency and National Assembly to clarify who currently exercises the constitutional powers of the President and under what provision of the Constitution.
Abdullahi cited Section 145 of the Constitution, which provides for the President to transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives when proceeding on vacation for up to 21 days, after which the Vice-President performs the functions of Acting President.
“President Tinubu left Nigeria on 30 August and has now been away for more than 21 days. We therefore demand to know whether the required declaration was transmitted by the President. If he did not, we would like to know why the National Assembly has ignored Section 145 of the Constitution,” he said.
He also dismissed explanations from the Presidency that Tinubu was on a “working vacation” and that Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, would represent him at official engagements.
Describing the arrangement as “an absurdity that raises more questions than it answers”, Abdullahi argued that attending official events on the President’s behalf did not confer constitutional powers on the SGF.
“Representing the President at events and ceremonies does not confer constitutional powers. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation is a mere appointee of the President. He may attend events or deliver speeches on the President’s behalf, but he cannot exercise the constitutional powers of the President or Acting President,” he said.
“Representation is not governance. Attendance at official functions is not presidential authority. Nigeria cannot be governed through ceremonial proxies, telephone calls and press statements issued from foreign capitals.”
Abdullahi further rejected claims that Tinubu could continue directing national affairs from abroad, arguing that a “working vacation” did not remove the President’s constitutional obligations under Section 145.
“There is no constitutional category known as a ‘working vacation’. Presidential authority cannot be transferred by convenience, protocol or press statement. Nigeria is a constitutional democracy, not a private enterprise to be managed remotely from a holiday destination,” he said.
