Again, Tinubu Ignores Constitution, Refuses To Hand Over Power As He Heads On Vacation
In apparent disregard for Section 145(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), President Bola Tinubu on Thursday commenced a 10-day vacation in Europe without transmitting a letter to the National Assembly to empower Vice-President Kashim Shettima to act in his absence.
A statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that Tinubu departed Abuja on September 4 for France and the United Kingdom, where he is expected to spend the period before returning to Nigeria.
Onanuga said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja today, September 4, to commence a working vacation in Europe, as part of his 2025 annual leave. The vacation will last 10 working days. President Tinubu will spend the period between France and the UK and then return to the country.”
However, the statement was silent on any formal communication to the Senate President or Speaker of the House of Representatives, as required under Section 145(1) of the Constitution, to enable Shettima discharge presidential duties. Both chambers of the National Assembly are currently on recess.
This is not the first time the President will be embarking on foreign trips without formally handing over to his deputy. In October 2024, Tinubu also spent more than two weeks in France and the UK on what the Presidency described as a “working vacation”, again without activating the constitutional provision.
Since his inauguration in May 2023, Tinubu has emerged as one of Nigeria’s most travelled leaders. Within his first 17 months in office, the President and Vice-President Shettima collectively embarked on 41 foreign trips across 26 countries, spending at least 180 days abroad. Of this figure, Tinubu accounted for 29 trips to 16 countries, totalling 124 days.
The latest vacation comes barely a week after the President returned from a 12-day diplomatic tour of Japan and Brazil, with stopovers in Dubai and Los Angeles.
During the trip, Tinubu participated in the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, before proceeding to Brazil where he met President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Both leaders signed agreements covering aviation, foreign affairs, science and technology, and agriculture.
Earlier in April, the President had also spent 19 days in France and the UK on private visits.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
