The Presidency has defended the absence of President Bola Tinubu and his Deputy Kashim Shettima who left Nigeria same period for different engagements, while Tinubu is away on holiday, Shettima travelled to Sweden for official reasons.
Penpushing reports that Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga defending the the absence of the duo said the constitution of the country does not explicitly require the physical presence of either the president or the vice president in the country at all times to fulfil his duties.
The Special Adviser in a statement explained that while Tinubu departed the country on October 3,2024 on a two-week working vacation, he has been busy answering phones and issuing directives on matters of state
Penpushing further reports that Onanuga, buttressing the presidency position through a statement following enquiry from journalists on absence of the two top citizens, declared that there was no leadership vacuum in the country
‘Following enquiries by journalists as to who is in charge of our country as the President and Vice President are out of the country, we want to clarify: It is important to note that the President and Vice President are fully engaged with the nation’s affairs, even while they are away. There is no leadership vacuum in the country’, Onanuga wrote.
‘President Tinubu left the country on 3 October and is on a two-week working vacation. During this time, he has been busy answering phones and issuing directives on matters of state. He will soon return to the country before the vacation officially expires. The vice president departed the country Wednesday for Sweden on an official visit, working for Nigeria’, he said.
‘All state organs are functioning as usual. The Senate President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ministers, and Service Chiefs are all in their respective positions, ensuring the smooth operation of the government’, he added.
‘We had a similar situation in 2022 when former President Buhari and former Vice President Osinbajo were found to be simultaneously out of the country. President Buhari attended UNGA 77, while Osinbajo participated in the burial of Queen Elizabeth ll’, the statement argued.
‘We have also experienced it during this administration. Between late April and early May this year, while President Tinubu was in London, after visiting the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, where he attended the World Economic Forum, Vice President Shettima left Nigeria, first of all for Nairobi to attend the International Development Association (IDA21) Heads of State Summit’.
‘After returning, he left for Dallas, Texas, to attend the US-Africa Business Summit organised by the Corporate Council on Africa. President Tinubu returned home on 8 May. During this time, the government’s machinery did not halt’, Onanuga emphasised.
‘The Constitution, a testament to our adaptability in the virtual age, does not explicitly require the physical presence of either the president or the vice president in the country at all times to fulfil his duties.
Penpushing also reports that the absence of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima from the country at a time the country is facing severe economic challenges has raised concerns among some Nigerians.
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