President Bola Tinubu would no longer return today. A source who spoke with TheCable said there was a last-minute change of plan and so the president’s return has been postponed to a new date.
Tinubu had been scheduled to arrive home today, after a 4-week-long working vacation in Europe. Had he come back he would spend a week in Lagos before returning to his seat in Aso Rock.
However, the arrangements have been altered, with the new date likely to be Tuesday.
Another postponement is a way too much, at least for the wailing opposition who have been raising hell since last week about the president’s long absence.
Infowars reports that the presidency answered critics lasts week, insisting that Tinubu could still rule Nigeria from abroad. They added the president had been in touch with key government officials and that everything was in order.
The vice-president Kashim Shettima had been standing in for the president in official functions. However, Shettima travelled on September 20 to represent Nigeria at the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
There was no reason given for the new change of date. But then, there were no reasons for the previous postponement of the president’s return.
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Tinubu’s long absence is already triggering a constitutional debate. Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution states that the president shall transmit written letters to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives when going on a long vacation. Under this arrangement, Shettima should be sitting as president in acting capacity after 21 days.
bola tinubu travel