Dalung Claims Tinubu Breached Constitution on Vacation

Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, accused President Bola Tinubu of breaching the Nigerian Constitution by not transmitting power to Vice President Kashim Shettima during his extended stay outside Nigeria, referred to as a “working vacation.” In an interview on Daily Trust’s News Hour, Dalung cited Section 145(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which mandates that the President must inform the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives when proceeding on vacation, allowing the Vice President to act in his stead. Dalung criticized the term "working vacation," stating it is not recognized in the Constitution and emphasized that the focus should be on whether the constitutional procedures for presidential absence were followed.

He questioned why the National Assembly had not acted under Section 145(2), which allows them to mandate the Vice President to perform presidential functions if the required declaration is not made within 21 days.