Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has questioned who is constitutionally exercising presidential authority in Nigeria following President Bola Tinubu’s continued absence from the country after the expiration of his initially announced 21-day vacation.
Atiku raised the issue in a statement on Monday, September 21, 2026, titled “Who Is in Charge of Nigeria?”, asking the Presidency and the National Assembly to clarify the constitutional arrangements surrounding Tinubu’s absence.
Tinubu departed Nigeria on August 30 for what the Presidency initially described as a three-week annual vacation in Europe. On Monday, however, the Presidency announced that the President had extended his working vacation by a few days and would return to Nigeria at the weekend.
Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), based his concerns on Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for the transfer of presidential functions when the President proceeds on vacation or is otherwise unable to perform his duties.
According to Atiku, the Constitution requires the President to transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, after which the Vice President performs the functions of President in an acting capacity.
He argued that Nigerians had not been shown any such declaration transferring presidential authority to Vice President Kashim Shettima since Tinubu left the country.
Atiku further referred to Section 145(2), which provides for the National Assembly to mandate the Vice President to perform the functions of President as Acting President if the required declaration is not transmitted within 21 days.
He therefore called on the Presidency to publish the declaration if one exists and questioned whether the constitutional procedure had been activated.
The former Vice President also pointed to Shettima’s current presence in New York, where he is representing Nigeria at the 81st United Nations General Assembly. The Vice President departed Abuja on September 20 to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the gathering.
The Presidency, meanwhile, maintains that Tinubu has remained in contact with officials in Nigeria and continued to direct the affairs of government while abroad. It said the President had delegated Shettima to represent him at official functions, while Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, would continue to represent him at other engagements as required.
The Federal Government also defended the decision for Shettima to represent Tinubu at the UN General Assembly, saying the Vice President was carrying the President’s full mandate during the gathering.
The development has therefore brought renewed public attention to the constitutional procedures governing presidential absence, as Tinubu’s extended stay abroad coincides with Shettima’s participation in the UN General Assembly in New York.
The Presidency has said Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria at the weekend, although no specific date has been announced.