President Bola Tinubu has postponed his return to Nigeria after a last-minute change to his travel plans, sources says
Tinubu was expected back in the country this weekend. The reason for the last-minute change was not known as of Sunday morning.
Sources in the presidency had earlier said that the president would return to Nigeria today after spending weeks in Europe on a working vacation.
He was expected to arrive in Lagos, where he would remain for up to a week before proceeding to Abuja, the nation’s capital.
However, the itinerary has been revised, with the president’s return now likely on Tuesday.
The president left Nigeria on August 30 for London, where he began what the presidency described as a three-week working vacation as part of his annual leave.
After spending about a week in the United Kingdom, he travelled to Paris, France.
While in Paris, Tinubu held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré.
On September 21, the presidency announced that Tinubu had extended his stay abroad by a few days and would return to Nigeria at the weekend.
The presidency said Tinubu had remained in touch with officials at home and continued to direct government affairs while away.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima had been representing the president at certain official functions during the president’s absence.
Shettima, however, travelled to New York on September 20 to represent Nigeria at the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The latest adjustment to Tinubu’s scheduled return comes amid questions about the length of his absence from the country.
His extended stay has triggered a constitutional debate, with some opposition figures questioning whether presidential powers ought to have been formally transferred to Shettima after 21 days.
Section 145 of the 1999 constitution provides that the president shall transmit a written declaration to the senate president and the speaker of the house of representatives when proceeding on vacation, after which the vice-president performs the functions of the president in an acting capacity.
On Tuesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said there is no vacancy in Aso Rock, adding that Tinubu remains in charge of the country’s affairs despite his absence from Nigeria.
The Nigerian president can travel abroad for any length of time, but under Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution, if the president is going on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of the office for more than 21 days, they are required to transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Once this letter is transmitted, the Vice President assumes power as Acting President. If the president fails to transmit the written declaration after 21 days, it triggers constitutional debates regarding the transfer of power.
Additional Report : The Cable