Tinubu’s Extended Europe Stay: Atiku’s Aide Makes Fresh Demand

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Paul Ibe, media aide to African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has called on the National Assembly to begin impeachment proceedings against President Bola Tinubu.

Ibe based the call on the president’s extended stay in Europe, arguing that Tinubu failed to properly notify the National Assembly about his absence from the country.

He made the demand during an interview with News Central TV.

Ibe argued that the president’s continued absence beyond the initially announced three-week vacation raised constitutional questions over the exercise of presidential powers. Recent reporting confirms that Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for a three-week working vacation and later extended his stay by a few days, with the Presidency saying he would return at the weekend.

Ibe said: “The National Assembly should initiate impeachment procedures against the president, he should be impeached for going contrary to the constitution.

“Section 151 says ‘whenever the president is proceeding on vacation,’ not working vacation because there is no provision for working vacation, that’s an afterthought because they are trying to be smart.

“Or is otherwise unable to discharge the duties of his office, he shall transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“So the question is, was this letter transmitted to the National Assembly? And I think as citizens we should know, if he didn’t he has stayed beyond 21 days, today is the 23rd day and he is not coming back until the weekend according to the presidency.”

The comments came amid a wider political and constitutional debate over Tinubu’s prolonged absence from Nigeria and the simultaneous absence of Vice President Kashim Shettima, who has been representing Nigeria at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Tinubu initially travelled to London before proceeding to Paris, France, where he held a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and also met businessman Vincent Bolloré.

The Presidency has maintained that Tinubu remained in contact with officials in Nigeria and continued directing government affairs while abroad.

Meanwhile, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has rejected suggestions that there is a vacancy in the presidency, maintaining that Tinubu remains in charge and continues to direct the affairs of government from Europe.

The constitutional questions surrounding the president’s absence have also been raised by opposition figures, with the African Democratic Congress citing Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution and asking whether the required written declaration concerning the transfer of presidential functions was transmitted to the National Assembly.

In his defence of the president’s continued absence, presidential aide Daniel Bwala said Tinubu could continue governing Nigeria from anywhere in the world.

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