₦airaland Forum

PRESS RELEASE 

Who is in Charge of Nigeria?

Twenty-one days have come and gone since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu left Nigeria on what the Presidency described as a three-week annual vacation.Today, Nigerians are entitled to ask a very simple constitutional question: Who is in charge of Nigeria.

Section 145 of the Constitution is not ambiguous about presidential vacations. It provides that whenever the President proceeds on vacation, he shall transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, whereupon the Vice President performs the functions of President as Acting President.

And where the President fails to transmit that declaration within 21 days, the Constitution provides a further safeguard: the National Assembly has the President to perform the functions of President as Acting President.

President Tinubu left Nigeria on 30 August. The Presidency publicly announced a three-week vacation. Yet, to date, Nigerians have not been shown any constitutional letter transmitting presidential authority to Vice President Kashim Shettima.

The 21 days have now elapsed. If such a letter exists, the Presidency should publish it immediately.

If it does not, then the constitutional mechanism contemplated by Section 145(2) has been triggered, and the National Assembly owes Nigerians an explanation as to why it has not acted.

This is not a matter of political convenience. It is a matter of constitutional order.

The situation is made even more disturbing by the fact that Vice President Shettima is himself presently in New York representing Nigeria at the United Nations General Assembly — the third consecutive UN General Assembly at which President Tinubu has delegated Nigeria's representation to his deputy.

So again: who is exercising presidential authority in Nigeria today, and under what constitutional instrument?

Nigeria cannot be governed by assumptions. It cannot be governed by presidential social-media posts from Europe.

It cannot be governed by photographs from private dinners at the Élysée Palace.

It cannot be governed on autopilot.

While President Tinubu has been abroad, 37 Nigerians died in NSCDC custody in Minna, an incident grave enough to trigger investigations, suspensions and demands for independent scrutiny.

At the same time, petrol is selling for as much as ₦1,500 per litre in parts of the country, worsening transportation costs and squeezing families already struggling with the cost of food, electricity, rent and other necessities.

These are not ordinary times. Yet the President is abroad.  The Vice President is abroad. 

The Senate President is abroad.

And Nigerians have not been told, in the clear constitutional language required of a serious democracy, who is exercising the powers of the President.

President Tinubu's private dinner with President Emmanuel Macron in Paris may serve diplomatic purposes. But Nigeria itself cannot be placed on vacation.

The Constitution does not recognise a “working vacation” as an alternative system of presidential succession.

It provides a procedure. That procedure must be obeyed.

The Presidency should therefore tell Nigerians immediately whether President Tinubu transmitted the declaration contemplated by Section 145(1) before leaving the country.

The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House should equally tell Nigerians whether such a communication was received.

And if no declaration was transmitted within the constitutionally stipulated period, the National Assembly must explain why the procedure provided by Section 145(2) has not been activated.

Nigeria is bigger than any President. At a time of severe economic hardship, rising energy costs, security challenges and the shocking deaths of citizens in government custody, the country deserves visible, accountable and constitutionally grounded leadership.

The question will not disappear: Who, constitutionally, is in charge of Nigeria?

Atiku Abubakar
Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress and Vice President of Nigeria, 1999-2007
Abuja
21 September 2026.

Source
SA on Media to Atiku Abubakar

That's to tell you that things are in order in Nigeria. Even for the fact that election is less than 4 months away, both the president and VP can be out of the country.

Good leadership in display

Meanwhile , if you truly want to know who is in charge, just misbehave

Atiku Abubakar should tell us if the president cannot travel again?

My president can preside from anywhere.

Good question from the No. 1 opposition. But will this change anything?

Atiku is the only opposition. Others are working for BAT.

helinues:
That's to tell you that things are in order in Nigeria. Even for the fact that election is less than 4 months away, both the president and VP can be out of the country.

Good leadership in display

From January to December, you no see work to engage yourself in, na to just dey type naunsense comment upandan

Country is running on auto pilot and vibes...

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Tinubu till 2031.

Misbehave and find out who is in charge right now.

Omo Atiku dey hustle hard o
Obi dey chase record wey no dey
Obidient wan take over thuggery

Nigeria is better without the three - Tinubu, Shettima and Akpabio.

They'd so badly have Atiku as #1 opposition for obvious reasons.

News Flash though : Your BAT is #3 at best. And there ain't no Daddy Buhari this time around, whose skirts you can hide behind

E ma lule patapata!

Welcome to autopilot republic

Which law is broken yet?

Have we seen the end of today yet?

The Constitution provides for 21 days, why not wait till tomorrow before sending out this rushed statement.

We have different institutions and they are all working.

What will hinder their operations please?

The leaders few days absent?

Abeegi, talk better things.

Nigeria is on auto pilot

I am in charge NOW! Things are not running on auto-pilot, as Lai Mohammed would have described it! 😄

There is no constitutional provision that says Tinubu and Shettima cannot be away from the country at the same time. It is a result of beer parlour discussion.

The machinery of government is clear. Executive power resides with the president, can be delegated to the vice president, or SGF or NSA or FEC.

Atiku, if Tinubu and Shettima leave the country, you will never be allowed to exercise executive power.

Mr Mambilla thief go and ask Google.

Bayo Onanuga, the head of Agbaddorians

I guess Wike is in charge now

I really don't get the hate for Peter obi

Is it a tribe thing?..

If macron was running for president here we'll still vote tinubu. Are we cursed?.

Atiku was mentored by Tinubu on how to play opposition but the nigga don't learn.

I'm disappointed in him.

Can you win election with this attitude?

The dude even said he will be attacking the president till the election day.

I'm ashamed on his behalf.

Oga go campaign and leave beer palour gossip to obi our regular entertainer.

My candid advice.

Nobody has been in charge of Nigeria since 2015..

this is the handwork of Tinubu supporters

They have nothing to offer Nigeria and Nigerians

Just watch how they will leave Atiku that made the statement to attack Peter Obi


Oya 1..... 2..... 3.... Go

This is the worst people to manage Nigeria and their supporters think they are doing well.


This was the same thing they did under Buhari and later turn around to cry that he has handed them a useless economy.


They have started repeating the same circle again.



Olodo uprising supporters


🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Better opportunity to split the country now.

Since buhari died in 2016 no one has ever been incharge osibande the ice cream seller was deprived of the opportunity, now Emilokan is following the footstep of his predecessor.

I am currently in charge ....make una rest jare we sabi all na politics

Nigerians are never angry enough to question the leadership of the country and whoever does try to question some unconditional acts by the presidency always gets lashed on by the kinsmen of the president and his vice

Since you don't know devolution of power, you can go and rule in their absence then

Nigeria is on autopilot, but our God is in control I laugh tinubucally.

Atiku is left to take over

Why are you afraid