Constitutional lawyer and rights activist ,Inibehe Effiong has called on the National Assembly to convene an emergency meeting where it willpass a resolution to confer power on Vice President Kassim Shettima as the nation’s Acting President.
Effiong made the assertion on Tuesday while featuring on Channels Television Morning Brief, in his reaction to the controveersy over the absence of President BolaAhmed Tinubu fromthe country for more than three weeks.
President Tinubu had left the country on August 3, 2026, on a vacation to London but has yet toreturn tothee country. Not a few Nigerians are now demanding his immediate return, as the 21 days allowed by the Constitution for the president to be outside ofthe country have lapsed.
Section 145(1) says: ”The President should transmit a written declaration to the Senate President and Speaker of the House when he is away or unable to perform his duties.”
While Section 145(2) says: ”If he fails or is unable to transmit the declaration within 21 days, the National Assembly can formally mandate the Vice-President to act as President.”
On Monday, presidential spokesman,Bayo Onanuga said Tinubu has extended his vacation by few days, saying while he was away fromthe country, he has delegated Vice President Shettima to represent himat the United Nation GeneralAssembly,UNGA holding in New York, United States, US.
Onanuga, in the statement, also dismissed the assertion of former Vice President and Nigeria Democratic Congress, ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar that Tinubu has left the country rudderless as a result of his absence for too long from the country.
Abubakar had in a statement issued on Monday, demanded that the Presidency should inform Nigerians the whereabout of President Tinubu, saying nobody is currently in charge of the country, as the Vice President Shettima has alsoleft the country to represnt Tinubu at the ongoing UNGA in US.
Onanuga said, “While away, President Tinubu delegated Vice President Kashim Shettima to represent him at some official functions. Though Shettima left Abuja on September 20 for New York to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, who has also been representing the President at events, will continue to do so.
“On the political front, the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Senator Abubakar Yari, has been leading notable party leaders in consultations with prominent traditional rulers in the country.
“The Presidency described the baseless insinuation by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and a United States-based lobbying firm headed by an ex-convict about President Tinubu’s non-attendance at UNGA as irresponsible.
“Vice President Shettima, who is representing the President at the global conference, will present Nigeria’s national statement.”
Reacting, Effiong said President Tinubu has failed to dothe needful by refusing to tranmit a letter to the NASS that he has transfererd power to Shettima. As a result, the rights lawyer said the NASS should meet ‘immediately’ to pass a resolution, transferring power to the vice president to take over as the nation’s leader and Commander-in-chief.
According to him, the president has no descretion on whether to transfer power to his vice, saying it’s a constitutional requirement as provided in the relevant Section of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Meanwhile, the Assembly, made up of the Senate and House of Representatives has been on a recess for weeks, and initially scheduled to resume plenary on September 15. The lawmakers have now shitted the resumption date to Sepetember 29.
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