Tinubu’s Absence Sparks Fresh Debate As Baba-Ahmed Says Nigeria Will Be Governed Remotely

National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has said Nigeria will be governed remotely until President Bola Ahmed Tinubu returns to the country from his ongoing stay in Europe.

Baba-Ahmed made the comment while reacting to the President’s decision to extend his working vacation by a few days. The State House announced that Tinubu, who travelled to Europe on August 30 and later moved to Paris, France, is expected to return to Nigeria at the weekend.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Baba-Ahmed expressed concern over the fact that both Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima are currently outside the country, with Shettima in New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly.

In a post on X, the PRP chairman said the situation meant the country would be governed remotely until the President’s return. He also suggested that the development had come at a time when Nigerians were debating whether to retain the current style of leadership or seek a change.

Baba-Ahmed wrote that Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief, had extended his leave while the Vice President was also out of the country, adding that Nigerians would continue to be governed remotely until the President returned.

His comments came amid a wider debate over how presidential authority is being exercised while both the President and Vice President are abroad.

Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has defended the President’s ability to continue governing from outside Nigeria. Bwala said the President’s constitutional powers are not restricted by his physical location.

Bwala made the statement while responding to questions from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi about who was effectively in charge of the country while Tinubu remained in Paris and Shettima attended the UN General Assembly in the United States.

According to Bwala, the President can continue to issue directives, delegate responsibilities and exercise his constitutional duties while outside the country. He cited Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution in support of his position.

The Presidency has also maintained that Tinubu has remained in contact with officials in Nigeria and continued directing government affairs during his working vacation. The State House said he had, among other things, ordered an independent panel to investigate the deaths of detainees in Minna while he was abroad.

Meanwhile, Shettima is representing Nigeria at the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York, while Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, has continued to represent Tinubu at some official engagements in his absence.

The development has continued to generate political debate, with Baba-Ahmed questioning the circumstances surrounding the President’s extended stay abroad, while the Presidency insists that Tinubu remains capable of directing the affairs of the country from outside Nigeria.