Former vice president Atiku Abubakar criticises President Bola Tinubu over his absence from Nigeria and raises questions about who holds presidential authority while the President is on vacation. In a statement titled “Who is in charge of Nigeria?”, Atiku points to constitutional procedures that govern handover of presidential functions during a vacation period.

Atiku cites Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution, which requires the President to transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives when proceeding on vacation, after which the vice president performs presidential functions as acting president. He says that more than 21 days after Tinubu left on August 30, Nigerians had not been shown such a letter transferring authority to Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Both outlets reporting on the same statement describe Tinubu’s trip as beginning August 30 for a three-week vacation in Europe, with the Presidency later announcing on September 21 that the vacation/work schedule had been extended slightly and that he would return to Nigeria at the weekend. The reporting focuses on Atiku’s legal argument and the timing of the constitutional process.