Chidi Odinkalu Questions Tinubu's Extended Absence from Nigeria

Professor Chidi Odinkalu, the former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, expressed constitutional concerns regarding President Bola Tinubu's extended absence from Nigeria. He warned that the country cannot be effectively governed from abroad, particularly as Vice President Kashim Shettima is also out of the country, attending the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Odinkalu criticized the current administration for allowing both the President and Vice President to be outside Nigeria simultaneously, a practice he argues deviates from established conventions upheld by previous administrations. He referenced former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari, noting that it was customary for the Vice President to remain in Nigeria during the President's travels.

Odinkalu emphasized the importance of having identifiable senior executive authority present in the country, questioning whether the current leadership understands their obligations to govern effectively.