Senate President Godswill Akpabio has dismissed calls for President Bola Tinubu to hand over power to Vice President Kashim Shettima, insisting there is no vacancy in the Nigerian presidency. Speaking on Tuesday, September 22, in Akwa Ibom State, Akpabio responded to mounting public debate over the exercise of presidential authority during Tinubu's extended stay abroad.
Akpabio: Tinubu Remains in Power
Akpabio stated unequivocally that he is not the acting president and that Tinubu continues to run the affairs of Nigeria from abroad. "I am the Senate President and not the acting President of Nigeria because President Tinubu is still in power. He's on a working leave, and there's no absence in Aso Rock," he said.
He pointed to Tinubu's recent engagement with French President Emmanuel Macron as evidence of the president's continued official duties. "He was with French President Macron the other day. I am the only person who can declare a vacancy and there will be vacancy. Right now, there is no vacancy," Akpabio added.
The Senate President argued that geography does not impede governance. "Asiwaju Tinubu is still in power, and he's still running the affairs of Nigeria. The world is a global village, you can give instructions from the internet. So why are people complaining?" he asked.
Tinubu's Extended Stay Abroad
Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for London before proceeding to Paris. On Monday, September 21, the presidency announced that his working vacation had been extended by a few more days, with an expected return at the weekend. During his time in Paris, the State House said Tinubu met Macron and businessman Vincent Bollore, and that he had remained in contact with government officials throughout.
The prolonged absence has drawn scrutiny, partly because Shettima also travelled to New York to represent Nigeria at the 81st United Nations General Assembly, leaving both principal offices outside the country simultaneously.
Constitutional Questions Raised
Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution requires the president to write to the Senate president and the Speaker of the House of Representatives whenever he proceeds on vacation or is otherwise unable to carry out his duties. Section 146 separately covers succession if both the presidency and vice presidency fall vacant.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar heightened the controversy by publicly questioning who holds constitutional authority in the current circumstances and calling for clarity on whether Tinubu transmitted the written declaration required under Section 145.
Akpabio did not directly address whether such a letter had been sent, but maintained that the presidency remains occupied and that Tinubu continues to exercise his full authority as president.
