African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, Dino Melaye, has expressed concern over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima being outside Nigeria at the same time.
Melaye, a former senator representing Kogi West, raised the issue in a post published on his verified X account.
The former lawmaker sought clarification on who was currently overseeing the affairs of the country, given that both the President and his deputy were abroad.
His comments followed separate trips undertaken by the two senior government officials.
President Tinubu recently left Nigeria for a three-week break as part of his annual holiday.
The President initially travelled to London in the United Kingdom before continuing his journey to Paris, France.
Meanwhile, Shettima travelled to New York, United States, on Sunday to participate in activities surrounding the United Nations General Assembly.
The Vice-President’s departure came shortly after Tinubu’s decision to stay away from this year’s UN gathering.
Reacting to the development, Melaye questioned the arrangement for administering the country while both occupants of the two highest executive offices are outside Nigeria.
He argued that presidential authority had not been handed over despite the absence of both officials.
In his post, the ADC chieftain stated that the President and Vice-President were both abroad and questioned who was presently responsible for running the government.
Melaye also criticised what he described as the President’s frequent foreign travels, alleging that Tinubu had repeatedly left the country without transferring presidential powers.
The former Kogi West senator maintained that the situation required Nigerians to know who was constitutionally exercising executive authority in the President’s absence.
His remarks have reignited discussion over the constitutional requirements surrounding the transfer of presidential responsibilities when the President is unavailable to perform his duties.
Section 145 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution provides a mechanism through which a President may formally notify the leadership of the National Assembly when proceeding on vacation or when unable to discharge the functions of the office.
Such notification enables the Vice-President to assume the duties of President in an acting capacity for the specified period.
The latest development has attracted attention because Tinubu and Shettima are both currently outside Nigeria for different reasons.
While the President’s trip is connected to his annual leave, the Vice-President’s visit to the United States is linked to Nigeria’s participation in the United Nations General Assembly.
Melaye’s comments have consequently placed renewed focus on how presidential responsibilities are handled when both the President and Vice-President are simultaneously outside the country.
The issue also comes amid continued scrutiny of the administration’s foreign engagements and the frequency of official trips by senior government officials.
For Melaye, the central question remains who is exercising presidential authority while both Tinubu and Shettima are away from Nigeria.
