The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has called on the Presidency to explain President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s continued absence from Nigeria, days after his initially announced three-week working vacation was extended.
The ADC said the President’s prolonged stay outside the country, without sufficient public information about his whereabouts and the reason for the extension, had raised questions among Nigerians.
The Presidency had earlier announced that Tinubu’s working vacation, which began on August 30, had been extended by a few days and that he was expected to return to Nigeria at the weekend. (State House Abuja)
In a statement, the ADC said Nigerians deserved clear information about the President’s whereabouts and the arrangements for the exercise of presidential authority while he remained abroad.
“The Presidency owes Nigerians a clear and transparent explanation,” the council said.
The opposition group argued that the matter went beyond the President’s personal movements, saying it also concerned how executive responsibilities were being handled in his absence.
“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 ADC said.
The council also pointed to the economic difficulties and security challenges facing the country, arguing that there should be clarity at the highest level of government.
It called on the Presidency to disclose Tinubu’s current location, explain the reason for his extended stay abroad and clarify the constitutional arrangements governing the country during the period.
The ADC also questioned the reported decision for Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, to continue representing the President at official functions while Tinubu remains outside the country.
The group said administrative explanations about representation would not answer what it described as the central question of who is constitutionally and effectively exercising presidential authority.
“Nigerians deserve openness, not secrecy. Presidential movements and the exercise of executive authority cannot be treated as matters of private convenience when they directly concern the governance of a nation of more than 200 million people,” the ADC said.
The development follows earlier concerns raised by the opposition group over the absence of both Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima from Nigeria. Shettima travelled to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, while the Presidency said Tinubu remained in contact with officials and continued to direct affairs from abroad. (African Democratic Congress)
The ADC urged the Presidency to provide a comprehensive explanation of the situation, warning that continued silence could increase public anxiety and speculation.
