Tinubu extends vacation, to return weekend

By Idowu Kayode
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has extended his working vacation by a few days and is expected to return to Nigeria at the weekend, the Presidency has said.
Tinubu departed Nigeria on August 30 for London to begin the working vacation before moving to Paris, France, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bollore.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu has continued to direct the affairs of the country from abroad.
Onanuga said the President had remained in touch with developments at home and continued to take decisions on matters of national importance while away.
The statement cited Tinubu’s directive for an independent panel to investigate the death of 37 illegal miners in Minna, following their detention by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, among the actions taken by the President during his absence.
“President Tinubu will return to Nigeria at the weekend, following the extension of his working vacation by a few days,” the statement said.
The Presidency also disclosed that Tinubu had delegated Vice-President Kashim Shettima to represent him at some official functions during the vacation.
However, Shettima left Abuja on September 20 for New York to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where he is representing the President.
The Presidency said the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, who had also been representing the President at official events, would continue in that capacity.
It added that Shettima would present Nigeria’s national statement at the global conference in New York on behalf of Tinubu.
The development comes amid criticism from former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over Tinubu’s continued absence from the country.
Atiku had questioned who was constitutionally exercising presidential authority in Nigeria following the expiration of the three-week vacation initially announced by the Presidency.
He had also raised questions about whether Tinubu transmitted the written declaration contemplated under Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
However, the Presidency dismissed what it described as the “baseless insinuation” by Atiku and a United States-based lobbying firm concerning Tinubu’s non-attendance at the United Nations General Assembly.
Onanuga described the insinuation as irresponsible, stressing that the President had delegated Shettima to represent him at the international gathering.
On the political front, the Presidency said the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abubakar Yari, had been leading consultations involving notable party leaders and prominent traditional rulers across the country.
The Presidency maintained that Tinubu had remained engaged with the affairs of government despite his absence from Nigeria and would return to the country at the weekend following the extension of his working vacation.