President Bola Tinubu has postponed his planned return to Nigeria following a last-minute change to his travel plans, with his arrival now expected on Tuesday.
Tinubu was initially scheduled to return this weekend after spending several weeks in Europe on what the presidency described as a working vacation. The reason for the latest change to his itinerary has not been disclosed.
The president left Nigeria on August 30 for London as part of his annual leave before travelling to Paris, France, where he held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré.
The presidency had earlier announced that Tinubu would return to Nigeria at the weekend after extending his stay abroad by a few days. He was expected to arrive in Lagos and spend up to a week there before travelling to Abuja.
During his absence, Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented him at some official engagements and travelled to New York to represent Nigeria at the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
Tinubu’s prolonged absence from the country has also sparked debate over the constitutional provisions governing presidential powers when the president is away for an extended period.
Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution provides that a president proceeding on vacation should transmit a written declaration to the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, after which the vice-president performs the president’s functions in an acting capacity.
However, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said there is no vacancy in Aso Rock, maintaining that Tinubu remains in charge of the country’s affairs despite his absence.
