ADC, Presidency trade words over Tinubu’s absence

Nigerians deserve openness, not secrecy over President’s absence, says ADC

Tinubu hale and hearty, doesn’t need to be in Abuja to do his work, Presidency replies

Emeka Agu Jnr with agency reports

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Presidency have exchanged words over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s continued absence from Nigeria, six days after the expiration of his originally announced three-week vacation.

While the ADC through its Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) demanded an immediate explanation from the Presidency over President Tinubu’s continued absence from Nigeria, the Presidency said President Tinubu was not required to be physically present in Abuja to perform his duties, particularly with the availability of digital communication tools.

In a statement on Sunday, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) said Tinubu’s continued stay abroad, without adequate public information on his whereabouts or the circumstances of the extension, has raised questions and public concern, particularly as Nigeria grapples with economic hardship and security challenges.

The council said Nigerians were entitled to know where the President was and how presidential authority would be exercised during his absence.

“The Presidency owes Nigerians a clear and transparent explanation,” the ADC said.

The council said the issue was not simply about the President’s movements but about the exercise of executive authority while he remained outside the country.

“The office of the President is a public trust. Nigerians who elected President Tinubu are entitled to know where their President is and, more importantly, who is exercising presidential authority while he remains outside the country,” it said.

The ADC said Nigeria could not afford uncertainty at the highest level of government amid the economic pressures, widespread hardship and persistent security challenges confronting the country.

It called on the Presidency to disclose Tinubu’s current location, explain the reason for his prolonged absence and clarify the constitutional arrangements governing the administration of the country during the period.

The council also demanded clarification on the status of Tinubu’s vacation and the constitutional basis for the current arrangement, given that his stay abroad had extended beyond the period earlier communicated to Nigerians.

“Nigerians deserve openness, not secrecy. Presidential movements and the exercise of executive authority cannot be treated as matters of private convenience when they directly concern the governance of a nation of more than 200 million people,” the ADC said.

The council also questioned the reported decision to extend the President’s vacation and have the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, continue to represent him at official functions.

According to the ADC, administrative explanations would not resolve what it described as the fundamental question of who was constitutionally and effectively in charge of the affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria while Tinubu remained away.

The council said it was joining concerned Nigerians in demanding transparency, accountability and respect for the constitutional responsibilities attached to the office of President.

“President Tinubu was elected to lead Nigeria, and Nigerians have a legitimate expectation that the Presidency will keep them adequately informed about matters affecting the exercise of presidential authority,” it said.

The ADC urged the Presidency to provide a comprehensive and unambiguous explanation, saying continued silence could deepen public anxiety and fuel speculation.

However, the Presidency has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is hale and hearty and has continued to discharge his responsibilities while on a working vacation outside Nigeria.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a post on his X platform on Sunday.

Onanuga said Tinubu was not required to be physically present in Abuja to perform his duties, particularly with the availability of digital communication tools.

“Nigeria’s President is hale and hearty. He has been on a working vacation, which he is perfectly entitled to. In this digital age, he does not need to be physically present in Abuja to do the work for which he was elected in 2023,” he said.

According to him, the President had continued to work during his vacation, including meetings with investors in France.

Onanuga said Tinubu had most recently facilitated a $7 billion deep-sea port project in Ogun Waterside, an initiative of the Ogun State Government.

He also compared Tinubu’s absence from the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York with that of other African leaders.

“Two other important African leaders were not in New York for the UNGA: South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi,” he said.

Onanuga said Ramaphosa had booked himself off public engagements, while Egypt had not faced public uproar over President el-Sisi’s absence from the UNGA.

He said Tinubu had announced his annual vacation and delegated Nigeria’s representation at the UNGA to Vice President Kashim Shettima.

The presidential aide also criticised former Anambra State governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, over comments concerning Tinubu’s whereabouts.

 “Yet Peter Obi pretends to be unaware of President Tinubu’s whereabouts and asks the puerile question his followers are asking on X,” Onanuga said.

He added that Tinubu was expected to return to Nigeria during the week to participate in activities marking the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

According to Onanuga, the President would also honour the late Chief MKO Abiola, whom he described as a martyr of Nigeria’s democratic struggle, by attending the premiere of a movie produced in his memory in Lagos.