Is Tinubu above the law?

President Bola Tinubu left Abuja for London on August 30 for a three-week working vacation, while Vice President Kashim Shettima was in Angola representing him at an African Union summit. Two of Nigeria's most powerful officials were outside the country simultaneously, and no letter was transmitted to the National Assembly as required by Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution. The section states that whenever the president transmits a written declaration to the Senate President and the Speaker that he is proceeding on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge his duties, the vice president shall perform those functions as acting president until the president transmits a written declaration to the contrary. Since May 2023, Tinubu has not used this mechanism once, unlike his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, who used it routinely.

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