UYO — Senate President [Godswill Akpabio has firmly rebuffed speculation that he has assumed the role of acting president, declaring that there is no leadership vacuum in the country despite the simultaneous absence of Nigeria’s top two executives from the federal capital.
Tripod Times reports that the Akpabio who spoke on Tuesday in Akwa Ibom State during the commissioning of internal roads in Ikot Ekpene, clarified his constitutional boundaries and defended the administrative structure currently keeping the country running smoothly.
“I am the Senate President and not the acting President of Nigeria because President Tinubu is still in power,” Akpabio stated explicitly to the gathered crowd. “He is on a working leave, and there is no absence in Aso Rock.”
Constitutional Concerns Raised by Opposition
The Senate President’s public clarification follows a wave of criticism from opposition parties and prominent political figures. Leaders within the opposition and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had raised alarms over what they described as a “dangerous disregard for the Constitution.”
The core of the dispute rests on Section 145 of the Nigerian Constitution.
Critics argue that because President Bola Tinubu has been out of the country for more than 21 days on an extended vacation in Europe without formally transmitting a letter of power transfer to the National Assembly, a legal gray area has emerged. This anxiety was amplified when Vice President Kashim Shettima also departed Nigeria to represent the nation at the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, leaving both executive offices temporarily empty.
Governance in a ‘Global Village’
Dismissing the backlash, Akpabio pushed back against the narrative that physical presence in Abuja is required to wield executive authority. He cited recent diplomatic actions, such as President Tinubu’s recent engagements with French President Emmanuel Macron, as proof that state business remains fully operational.
“Asiwaju Tinubu is still in power, and he’s still running the affairs of Nigeria,” Akpabio added. “The world is a global village; you can give instructions from the internet. So why are people complaining?”
The Senate President further asserted his sole statutory power regarding a vacancy declaration: “I am the only person as Chairman of the National Assembly that can speak the voice of the National Assembly and say there is a vacancy. Right now, there is no vacancy.”
The Presidency Defends Parallel Travel
The Federal Government has stood firmly behind this arrangement, assuring citizens that the machinery of state has not ground to a halt. Executive spokespersons noted that Vice President Shettima traveled to New York with the explicit mandate of the President. They also emphasized historical precedents under both the current and previous administrations where both leaders were concurrently overseas for official functions without derailing domestic governance.
President Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria at the weekend to resume visible domestic duties.
