By our correspondent

The African Democratic Congress has described the continued absence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while Vice-President Kashim Shettima is also outside Nigeria, as a dangerous disregard for the Constitution.

The party, in a statement by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, said that Section 145 of the Constitution requires the President, when proceeding on vacation for a period of up to 21 days, to transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, after which the Vice-President performs the functions of Acting President.

“President Tinubu left Nigeria on 30 August and has now been away for more than 21 days. We therefore demand to know whether the required declaration was transmitted by the President. If he did not, we would like to know why the National Assembly has ignored Section 145 of the Constitution,” the ADC said.

The opposition party also rejected the Presidency’s explanation that the President was on a “working vacation” or that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, would represent President Tinubu at official events, dismissing it as “an absurdity that raises more questions than it answers.”
“Representing the President at events and ceremonies does not confer constitutional powers. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation is a mere appointee of the President. He may attend events or deliver speeches on the President’s behalf, but he cannot exercise the constitutional powers of the President or Acting President,” the party said.

“Representation is not governance. Attendance at official functions is not presidential authority. Nigeria cannot be governed through ceremonial proxies, telephone calls and press statements issued from foreign capitals.”

The party added that the claim that the President has continued to direct national affairs from abroad only “compounds the absurdity”, saying that a so-called “working vacation” does not remove the President’s constitutional obligations under Section 145.

“There is no constitutional category known as a ‘working vacation’. Presidential authority cannot be transferred by convenience, protocol or press statement. Nigeria is a constitutional democracy, not a private enterprise to be managed remotely from a holiday destination.”

The ADC said it was particularly troubling that the President and Vice-President were simultaneously absent while Nigerians confronted worsening insecurity, unemployment and an unbearable cost-of-living crisis.

In a similar vein, the ADC also described as a “national disgrace” the fact that President Emmanuel Macron of France is in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly, while President Tinubu is vacationing in Paris, the capital of France.

“The irony would be amusing if it were not a national disgrace. At a time when world leaders are advancing their countries’ interests at the United Nations General Assembly, Nigeria’s President is holed up in the French capital while his host has left to pursue his own country’s national interest.

“President Tinubu cannot be vacationing in Paris while President Macron is in New York representing France and expect Nigerians to accept that it is okay for their President to continue to hang around in a country after the host has left to attend to more important things. This is not merely poor optics. It is a national embarrassment.”

The party called on the Presidency and the National Assembly to provide a direct answer to one question:

“Who presently exercises the constitutional powers of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and under what provision of the Constitution?”

By George Mgbeleke

The National Assembly on Tuesday clarified recent reports and public perceptions regarding the transmission of one of the Constitution Alteration Bills to the Houses of Assembly of the 36 Statesof the Federation.

Recall that on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, the Clerk of the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, Esq. issued a Press release informing the general public that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill,2026, titled:
“A Bil for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 10 Provide for the Establishment of State Police Services; and for Related Matters,”had been transmitted to the Houses of Assembly of the 36 States of the Federation for their consideration and approval.

“For the avoidance of doubt, it is only this particular Constitution Alteration Bill that has so far been
transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly. It is therefore incorrect to suggest or create the
impression that all the Constitution Alteration Bills before the National Assembly have been
transmitted to the States.

“The decision to accord priority to the Bill on the establishment of State Police Service is in
response to widespread public demands and the need to address concerns relating to security and
policing in the country through an appropriate constitutional and legal framework.

“The other Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bills before the National Assembly will be transmitted
to the Houses of Assembly of the 36 States of the Federation upon their passage in identical form
by both Chambers of the National Assembly, in accordance with the constitutional amendment
process.”

Continuing the statement noted,”The National Assembly remains commited to ensuring that the ongoing Constitution Alteration process is conducted transparently, responsibly and in accordance with the provisions of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Members of the public and the media are therefore encouraged to rely on official communications
of the National Assembly for accurate information regarding the status and transmission of the
various Constitution Alteration Bills.”

By Our Correspondent

Controversy trails recent chieftanicy title conferred on the first lady Sen. Oluremi Tinubu as a Pan Igbo Socio-political Organization, Imeobi Igbo Forum, Tuesday in Awka, Anambra state capital, condemned in strong terms the conferment of a Chieftaincy title of “Osodieme,” on Sen. Remi Tinubu, wife of President Bola Tinubu, by Igbo Traditional Rulers’ Council with the latest coming from traditional Rulers in Anambra state, recalling her hatred on the Igbo race.

Insisting that she does not deserve such an honour from the Igbo race, the forum disclosed that she once threatened and massively abused the Igbo residents in Lagos in 2019 during electioneering campaigns, demanding for their being driven out and their property to be confiscated by the Yoruba.

Making the condemnation through her national chairman, Chief Ikegulu Chukwukpezie, the forum reiterated that conferring such honour to her is desecration of Igbo customs and tradition, lamenting that those who are suppose to speak out against the injustices meted out to their Igbo brothers turned deaf ears and endorsed her conferment.

Frowning at their calmness the forum said, “The drum beats are silent.The canopies and chairs returned to the rental. The hired crowd has dispersed. Not minding the way and manner the desecration of Igbo custom and tradition went. All for a woman who has massively abused the Igbo in 2019 in Lagos.

” She pontificated that Igbos should be driven out of Lagos and their properties confiscated and taken over by the yorubas.In another encounter with an Igbo woman voter in Lagos, she sinically claimed that ‘Igbos we no dey trust una again’.

“Ever since, the woman had neither recanted her statements nor apologized to Ndigbo. Imeobi Igbo Forum wonders whether this new love she now professes while collecting titles is genuine? Could it be just for votes? Since when did she restore trust for the untrustworthy Igbos.

“So why are some Southeast political elites falling over each other to please her and endorse her husband? These characters occupying political offices paid glowing tributes to her husband, even promised to ensure that Ndigbo by all means vote for APC, come 2027.

“After these many days of jamboree, what is there for Ndigbo? Or is it just to link up a few individuals to the seat of power to beg, cap in hand?
It was expected that the old and new APC members including those with a foot on two camps, would have sat down with the August guest to secure some mouth watering concessions for Ndigbo.

” Some would say that she is not the president, but having been conferred with the title of Oso di eme, means that she is hand in gloves with her husband in managing or mismanaging Nigeria.If Remi Tinubu is an ‘Oso di eme’, it means that she is an accomplice to all the injustices perpetrated against Ndigbo by her husband’s mismanagement of Igbo concerns.

” Ndigbo want answers to many issues, which include that, young Igbo youths randomly picked up in the pretence of being IPOB/ESN are languishing in various secret detention centres across Nigeria without trial.

“Recruitments and appointments are done in Nigeria federal establishments, excluding Igbos. Loans are procured, for which igbos will be part of the repayment, for infrastructure development, but Southeast zone would not benefit. Rail lines that have crisscrossed Nigeria with a tube train, to go from Lagos to Maiduguri, but have not found its path in the Igbo heartland.
Even the gas harvested in the Southeast is reticulated away, circumventing the Igbo heartland.

“Enugu – Port Harcourt expressway have remained a death trap.No functional seaport in the Southeast which is the destination of most imports in Nigeria.No international airport in the Southeast, with the most travelled population in Nigeria.
So what exactly drives some Igbo political and business elites to support an administration that is more anti Igbo than Buhari administration.

“Greed! No other force than greed for wealth and material acquisitions. Prominent yorubas have ascerted that they are Yorubas before Nigeria. When will the Igbo be Igbo first, before Nigeria? So we ask again, what exactly is the benefit of the jamboree with the First Lady for Ndigbo?
Ndigbo must borrow a leaf from other nationalities in Nigeria, having suffered deadly sabotage and back bitting in the past. We must learn to be our brother’s keeper and demand what is due to us as a people”, the forum maintained.