“There is no vacancy in Aso Rock” — Akpabio defends Tinubu’s extended vacation
Godswill Akpabio, the president of the Senate, has rejected worries about President Bola Tinubu’s extended stay overseas, stating that Nigeria does not have a leadership vacuum.
On Tuesday, Akpabio made the statements in Akwa Ibom State during the commissioning of road projects carried out by Governor Umo Eno.
The Senate President was reacting to demands that Tinubu transfer authority to Vise President Kashim Shettima after the President’s three-week business vacation was extended by an additional week.
Despite being abroad, Akpabio insisted that Tinubu was still in office and fulfilling his constitutional duties.
He said, “I am the Senate President, and I am not the acting President of Nigeria, because President Tinubu is still in power.”
Akpabio went on to say that the President might continue to oversee government affairs from a distance thanks to contemporary communication.
He added, “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?”
The Senate President emphasised that Tinubu continued to be in charge of the nation’s affairs and added that there was currently no presidential vacancy.
Additionally, Akpabio cited Tinubu’s recent diplomatic contacts—including correspondence with French President Emmanuel Macron—as proof of his ongoing participation in administration.
Tinubu’s official homecoming date hasn’t been disclosed by the presidency, though.
Akpabio’s remarks coincide with a public debate about whether the President’s prolonged absence overseas necessitates a formal handover of power to the Vice President.
