Former presidential aide and Arise Television’s The Morning Show anchor, Reuben Abati, has faulted the criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s three-week vacation in Europe by the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar.
Abati said the Atiku camp was raising questions that were “embarrassing” and had not been properly researched.
He spoke on Monday while reacting to concerns over Tinubu’s decision to embark on a three-week working vacation outside Nigeria.
Atiku had, in a statement on Sunday, criticised Tinubu’s absence from the country amid widespread hardship, describing it as a “disturbing vacuum of political leadership.”
Responding to the criticism, Abati said Tinubu was entitled to travel and could go wherever he wanted, provided his absence did not exceed the constitutional threshold requiring him to formally transfer power.
Abati said: “The Atiku group is also raising questions that are embarrassing and have not been properly researched: ‘I will reopen all our borders. Tinubu is 90 years old, I will provide the evidence. Tinubu should not travel abroad. Why is he travelling?’
“Okay, let me address that very quickly. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has now gone on what they call a working vacation for three weeks, which he is entitled to. If you break that down, I think the major concern, as I see it, is that the presidency has tried to stay within the 21-day threshold under Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.
“I guess if the president travels and it doesn’t exceed 21 days, he doesn’t have to hand over. So, there’s no evidence that the president has handed over.
“As for a working vacation, state visit or whatever, he is entitled to it. So, wherever he wants to go, he can go.
“The explanation that has been given by the party (APC) is that he has to go and refuel. Well, that’s okay, that’s fine. They can hold on to that.
“I think where the problem is, which is where the Atiku camp should have put their focus, is that as of the time the president was travelling yesterday, I’m not sure that the Vice President of Nigeria was in the country.
“So, at the same time, the Vice President was in Angola, while the President was on his way to Europe.”
