Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has dismissed calls for President Bola Tinubu to hand over power to Vice President Kashim Shettima, insisting that there is no leadership vacuum in the country despite the President's extended working vacation abroad. Akpabio spoke on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, in Akwa Ibom State while commissioning road projects executed by Governor Umo Eno, amid renewed public debate over Tinubu's prolonged absence from Nigeria.
Akpabio's intervention came against the backdrop of questions raised in some quarters over the simultaneous absence of both the President and the Vice President from the country. Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for a three-week working vacation in London before proceeding to Paris. The Presidency announced on Monday, September 21, that his stay had been extended by a few days, with Tinubu expected back in Nigeria at the weekend. Shettima, meanwhile, departed Abuja on September 20 for New York to represent Nigeria at the 81st United Nations General Assembly. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, was expected to continue representing the President at official functions following Shettima's departure.
Addressing the concerns, Akpabio said Tinubu remained in control of the administration and that his physical absence from the country did not mean that presidential powers had become vacant. "I am the Senate President, and I am not the acting president of Nigeria, because President Tinubu is still in power. He is on a working leave, and there is no absence in Aso Rock. The world is a global village, and one can give instructions over the internet. So, why are people complaining?" he said.
Akpabio further maintained that the circumstances requiring the Senate President to assume a constitutional role in the presidential succession framework did not exist. "Right now, there is no vacancy. Asiwaju Tinubu is still in power, and he is still running the affairs of Nigeria," he added.
To buttress his position, the Senate President cited the President's continued engagement with government affairs and diplomatic contacts while abroad. According to the Presidency, Tinubu continues to direct government affairs from Europe and, while in Paris, held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré. The Presidency also said Tinubu had remained in touch with officials in Nigeria and issued directives while away, including ordering an independent investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Minna. The President's physical absence from Nigeria, Akpabio argued, should not be equated with an absence from office, stressing that instructions could be transmitted and government decisions taken remotely.
The debate has drawn sharp criticism from opposition political parties and civil society groups. The African Democratic Congress questioned the constitutional basis for the current arrangement involving the President, Vice-President and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The party argued that the simultaneous absence of Tinubu and Shettima from the country violated constitutional provisions on the transfer of power. A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party described Tinubu's extended holiday as an unacceptable abdication of mandate, while the Obidient Movement insisted that the President must explain to Nigerians why he was avoiding the United States. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, also queried Tinubu's absence, asking what the President was afraid of in the United States.
The Presidency has maintained that Tinubu remains actively engaged in governance despite being outside the country. On Monday, the Presidency confirmed that the President had remained in touch with officials at home and continued to direct government affairs while in Europe. It also said the President had delegated Shettima to represent him at some official functions, while Akume would continue to represent him at other engagements following Shettima's departure for the UN General Assembly.
Akpabio's remarks are expected to further shape the ongoing debate over whether the President's extended absence from the country requires a formal transfer of presidential powers to the Vice President. Under the Nigerian Constitution, the President is required to transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives before proceeding on vacation, indicating that he is proceeding on vacation and that the Vice President will perform the functions of the office in his absence. It remains unclear whether Tinubu transmitted such a declaration before his departure on August 30. The Presidency has not disclosed whether a formal transfer of power was executed, and Shettima's subsequent departure for the United Nations General Assembly has further complicated the question of who is in charge of the country.
For now, Akpabio has drawn a clear line: there is no vacancy in Aso Rock, and Tinubu remains the President. But the debate over the constitutional implications of the President's extended absence is far from over. As the 2027 general elections approach, the question of whether a President can govern effectively from abroad without a formal transfer of power is likely to remain a contentious issue. For the millions of Nigerians who look to Aso Rock for leadership, the answer to the question of who is in charge may determine not just the outcome of the next election, but the direction of the country in the months ahead.
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