Lawyer says Tinubu, Shettima's concurrent absence breaches constitution
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong told Channels Television's The Morning Brief that President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima being abroad simultaneously violates the 1999 Constitution. He cited Section 145, which requires the president's powers to be formally transferred to an acting president when the president is on vacation or unable to perform duties, and stressed that those powers cannot be delegated.
The lawyer argued that at all times Nigeria must have either a substantive president or an acting president, and the current situation leaves the country without constitutionally mandated authority. Tinubu has been in London since August 30 on a working vacation, while Shettima departed Abuja on September 20 to lead Nigeria's delegation to the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Without a formal transfer of power, questions arise about who holds executive authority, especially regarding national security and urgent decisions. Citizens should look for any official announcement of an acting president and consider whether the lack of clarity warrants demands for constitutional compliance. Will Nigerians insist on clarity about who exercises presidential power while both leaders are overseas?