Former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chidi Odinkalu, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s prolonged stay outside Nigeria, arguing that the simultaneous absence of the President and Vice President raises concerns about the leadership of the country.
Odinkalu, a professor of law and human rights lawyer, spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday while commenting on Tinubu’s extended working vacation in Europe.
He described the situation as unprecedented in Nigeria’s recent history, alleging that the current administration had made it a practice for both the President and Vice President to be outside the country at the same time.
“This is the first time, this is the first administration where the principals, the Vice President and the President, are making a habit of abandoning the country without leadership,” Odinkalu said.
He recalled that under previous administrations, arrangements were made to ensure that either the President or Vice President remained in Nigeria when one of them travelled abroad.
“This is the first time that it is a habit. And under Buhari, whenever Buhari was going out of the country, Osinbajo was required to be back in the country,” he said, referring to former President Muhammadu Buhari and his then Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
Odinkalu also cited the administrations of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan, saying they did not allow similar circumstances to become routine.
The lawyer questioned whether the current administration had fully considered the constitutional and practical responsibilities attached to running the country before debating the technical interpretation of the Constitution.
“The question therefore you’ve got to pose is do the current people running the country even think or understand what the obligations of running the country are before we get into the constitutional text,” he said.
Odinkalu further argued that Nigeria was effectively becoming an “ungoverned territory” because, in his view, those constitutionally responsible for leading the country were away.
He also rejected the suggestion that the President could continue to exercise his powers indefinitely from abroad without formally triggering the constitutional process for transferring presidential authority.
According to him, Section 145 of the Nigerian Constitution does not provide for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to assume presidential powers simply because both the President and Vice President are outside the country.
Describing Tinubu’s absence as “japa” — a Nigerian expression commonly used to describe leaving the country in search of better opportunities — Odinkalu urged political leaders to take the responsibilities of governing seriously.
“Tinubu cannot interminably run Nigeria like Paul Biya runs Cameroon,” he said.
Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for a three-week working vacation, initially travelling to London before proceeding to Paris, where he held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bollore.
The Presidency announced on September 21 that Tinubu had extended his stay by a few days and was expected to return to Nigeria at the weekend. It said the President had remained in contact with officials at home and continued to direct government affairs while abroad.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, meanwhile, travelled to New York to represent Tinubu at the 81st United Nations General Assembly and is expected to deliver Nigeria’s national statement.
The Presidency said that with Shettima at the UN, SGF George Akume would continue to represent the President at official engagements in Nigeria.
The simultaneous absence of Tinubu and Shettima has generated public debate, with opposition figures and some lawyers questioning the constitutional arrangements governing the exercise of presidential powers during the period.
The debate has centred particularly on Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for the President to transmit a written declaration to the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives when proceeding on vacation or otherwise unable to discharge his functions.
The Presidency, however, maintains that government business has continued and that Tinubu remains in charge of the administration despite his absence from Nigeria.
