Questions over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s prolonged absence from Nigeria intensified on Sunday, September 27, 2026, as Peter Obi and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council called on the Presidency to clarify his whereabouts and the constitutional arrangements governing the country in his absence.
Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), raised the issue in a post on X after watching an address by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama at the ongoing 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
“Where is Nigeria’s President?” Obi asked, questioning why Tinubu was not personally attending the gathering, particularly at a time he said Nigeria was confronting significant domestic and international challenges.
Obi noted that Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous country, should have its president represented at major international engagements. He also said Tinubu had not personally attended the UN General Assembly during the past three sessions, although Vice-President Kashim Shettima is currently in New York representing Nigeria at the 81st session.
“Where is he, particularly at a time when the country faces significant challenges both domestically and internationally?” Obi asked.
He concluded by urging Nigerians to continue praying for Tinubu’s return and leadership, while expressing hope that “a New Nigeria is possible.”
Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for what the Presidency described as a three-week working vacation in Europe as part of his annual leave. He travelled initially to London before proceeding to Paris, where the State House said he held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré.
On September 21, the Presidency announced that Tinubu had extended his stay abroad by a few days and was expected to return to Nigeria at the weekend.
However, that return did not take place as initially indicated.
According to sources cited by TheCable, Tinubu’s return plans were subsequently revised. He had initially been expected to arrive in Lagos on Sunday before proceeding to Abuja, but his return was later expected to take place on Tuesday. The reason for the change was not immediately known.
The Presidency has maintained that Tinubu has remained in contact with government officials in Nigeria and continued to direct the affairs of government while abroad.
Shettima, meanwhile, travelled to New York on September 20 to represent the President at the UN General Assembly. The Presidency also said Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, would continue to represent Tinubu at certain official engagements.
The prolonged absence has nevertheless prompted renewed questions about the constitutional status of presidential authority when both the President and Vice-President are outside the country.
Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution provides that when the President proceeds on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of office, he is 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 the President in an acting capacity.
The issue has generated political debate over whether the provision is applicable to Tinubu’s current absence and whether the requisite constitutional procedures have been followed.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio said on Tuesday that there was no vacancy in Aso Rock, maintaining that Tinubu remained in charge of the country’s affairs despite his absence from Nigeria.
The ADC Presidential Campaign Council has now added its voice to calls for clarification.
In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the campaign council said the Presidency owed Nigerians “a clear and transparent explanation” of Tinubu’s continued absence.
“The office of the President is a public trust,” the ADC said, arguing that Nigerians were entitled to know the President’s whereabouts and who was exercising presidential authority while he remained outside the country.
The campaign council said its concern extended beyond Tinubu’s absence from official events to the constitutional basis for the exercise of executive authority.
It specifically called on the Presidency to clarify Tinubu’s current location, the reason for the prolonged stay abroad, the status of his vacation and the constitutional arrangements governing the country during his absence.
The ADC also questioned whether the continued representation of the President by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation at official functions was sufficient to address questions about the exercise of presidential powers, particularly while both Tinubu and Shettima were outside Nigeria.
The Presidency has not issued a subsequent public statement confirming Tinubu’s return following its September 21 announcement that he would return at the weekend.
The questions surrounding the President’s absence come as the 81st UN General Assembly continues in New York. The session, which opened on September 8, is being held under the theme, “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.”
For now, the Presidency maintains that Tinubu remains in charge of government and has continued to direct affairs from abroad, while opposition figures and the ADC are demanding greater transparency over his whereabouts and the constitutional arrangements for the exercise of presidential powers during his extended stay outside Nigeria.