“All state organs are functioning as usual,” President Tinubu’s spokesperson wrote.
Though President Bola Tinubu and his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, are every outside the nation, there’s now not any leadership vacuum, the president’s office mentioned on Wednesday.
Mr Tinubu is currently on a working proceed outside Nigeria whereas Mr Shettima travelled to Sweden on an unswerving visit on Wednesday. The president departed Nigeria on the third of October.
The absence of the 2 top voters from the nation at a time the nation is going through severe economic challenges has raised concerns amongst some Nigerians.
In response, Mr Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, mentioned there’s “no leadership vacuum in the country.”
“All state organs are functioning as usual. The Senate President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ministers, and Service Chiefs are all in their respective positions, ensuring the smooth operation of the government,” Mr Onanuga wrote.
The spokesperson argued that the Nigerian constitution “does not explicitly require the physical presence of either the president or the vice president in the country at all times to fulfil his duties.”
Learn Mr Onanuga’s elephantine commentary below.
THERE IS NO VACUUM IN LEADERSHIP AS THE PRESIDENT AND VP ARE OUT OF THE COUNTRY
Following enquiries by journalists as to who’s to blame of our nation as the President and Vice President are in one other nation, we want to elaborate:
1. It’s miles important to gift that the President and Vice President are utterly engaged with the nation’s affairs, even whereas they’re away. There’s now not this kind of thing as a leadership vacuum in the nation.
2. President Tinubu left the nation on 3 October and is on a two-week working commute. All the diagram through this time, he has been busy answering telephones and issuing directives on issues of yell. He will quickly return to the nation sooner than the commute officially expires.
3. The vp departed the nation Wednesday for Sweden on an unswerving visit, working for Nigeria.
4. All yell organs are functioning as regular. The Senate President, the Secretary to the Authorities of the Federation, Ministers, and Carrier Chiefs are all of their respective positions, making sure the tender operation of the manager.
5. We had a the same trouble in 2022 when gentle President Buhari and lightweight Vice President Osinbajo had been chanced on to be concurrently in one other nation. President Buhari attended UNGA 77, whereas Osinbajo participated in the burial of Queen Elizabeth ll.
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6. We now hold also experienced it during this administration. Between leisurely April and early Would possibly presumably per chance this year, whereas President Tinubu changed into once in London, after visiting the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, where he attended the World Financial Forum, Vice President Shettima left Nigeria, first of bearing in ideas Nairobi to lend a hand the World Construction Association (IDA21) Heads of Mumble Summit. After returning, he left for Dallas, Texas, to lend a hand the US-Africa Industry Summit organised by the Corporate Council on Africa. President Tinubu returned house on 8 Would possibly presumably per chance. All the diagram through this time, the manager’s machinery didn’t discontinue.
7. The Constitution, a testomony to our adaptability in the virtual age, does now not explicitly require the physical presence of either the president or the vp in the nation at all instances to fulfil his duties.
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Data and Approach)
October 16, 2024