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Paul Ibe, media aide to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has questioned President Bola Tinubu’s prolonged stay outside Nigeria, saying his return does not resolve concerns surrounding his absence.
Ibe raised the concerns in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), following the State House announcement that Tinubu was returning to Nigeria after spending approximately one month abroad.
The Presidency had announced on August 30 that Tinubu was proceeding to Europe for a three-week vacation as part of his annual leave.
However, Ibe argued that the duration of the President’s absence raised constitutional questions, particularly regarding Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.
According to him, the provision requires a President proceeding on vacation to transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, allowing the Vice-President to perform the functions of Acting President.
He further argued that the Constitution provides for the National Assembly to take action if the required declaration is not transmitted within 21 days.
Ibe said describing Tinubu’s trip as a “working vacation” did not alter the constitutional provision.
He alleged that the description was an attempt to divert attention from what he characterised as a breach of the Constitution.
The claim, however, is Ibe’s position; the statement does not itself establish that Tinubu breached Section 145 or that the required constitutional declaration was not made.
Ibe cites security challenges
The former Vice-President’s aide also linked the controversy to the security situation in the country during Tinubu’s absence.
He cited police figures covering September 5 to 11, which he said recorded 22 banditry incidents, five terrorism incidents, 27 kidnapping incidents and 50 homicide incidents nationwide.
Ibe argued that the security figures underscored the need for accountability over the President’s prolonged absence.
He also pointed to Nigeria’s food-security challenges, citing FAO and WFP projections that approximately 34.8 million Nigerians were at risk of Crisis-level or worse acute food insecurity during the 2026 lean season.
Questions engagements abroad
The Presidency has maintained that Tinubu remained engaged in official duties during his time abroad, with several meetings and engagements cited as evidence that the President continued working.
Ibe, however, questioned the measurable outcomes of those engagements.
He asked what agreements were concluded, what investments were secured and what specific deliverables required the President’s prolonged presence outside Nigeria.
According to him, photographs and official statements can establish that meetings took place but do not, on their own, demonstrate the results of such engagements.
Ibe questions health assurances
Ibe also addressed repeated assurances from the Presidency that Tinubu is “hale and hearty”.
He said such assurances should be reported as the position of the Presidency, arguing that photographs of the President should not be regarded as medical evidence.
He maintained that the broader issue was accountability over the President’s extended stay abroad.
Ibe said questions remained about what the trip achieved, what constitutional procedures were followed during the President’s absence and what measurable results emerged from the engagements cited by the Presidency.
He concluded that Tinubu’s return to Nigeria would not, in itself, resolve the issues he had raised.
“The constitutional question remains. The security challenges remain. The cost-of-living pressures remain,” Ibe said.
He added that Nigerians deserved clear facts and demonstrable outcomes from the President’s extended stay abroad.
Watch the video here…
President Bola Tinubu’s return to Nigeria after approximately one month abroad does not answer the questions raised by his prolonged absence.
On August 30, the Presidency announced that he was proceeding to Europe for a three-week vacation as part of his annual leave. Section… pic.twitter.com/FqaB0qn7bN
— Paul Ibe (@omonlakiki) September 29, 2026