The Presidency has confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has extended his working vacation by one week and is expected to return to Nigeria at the weekend.
Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for a three-week working vacation, during which he travelled to London and later Paris, where he held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said Tinubu had remained in contact with officials in Nigeria and continued to direct the affairs of government while abroad.
The Presidency also dismissed claims by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that Tinubu had violated the 1999 Constitution by remaining outside the country beyond the initially announced 21-day period.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Tope Ajayi, said Tinubu had not breached any constitutional provision, arguing that the president was entitled to 21 working days of annual leave and had so far spent 15 working days on vacation.
The Presidency further stated that Vice President Kashim Shettima had been authorised to represent Tinubu at official engagements, including the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, will also continue representing the president at some official functions.
Atiku, however, questioned who was constitutionally exercising presidential authority in Nigeria. He cited Section 145 of the Constitution and called on the Presidency to disclose whether Tinubu had formally transmitted a written declaration to the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives before leaving the country.
The former vice president argued that if such a declaration had not been transmitted within the constitutional period, the National Assembly should explain why the constitutional procedure for transferring presidential functions to the Vice President had not been activated.
The Federal Government rejected Atiku's claims, saying Shettima was carrying the full mandate of the President while representing Nigeria at the UN General Assembly.
Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris said political opposition and public debate were legitimate, but urged political actors to distinguish between verified information, political opinion and what he described as unsubstantiated speculation.
The Presidency maintained that Nigeria remained fully represented at the United Nations and that Tinubu continued to exercise his responsibilities while on annual leave.
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