Odinkalu Critiques Tinubu and Shettima's Leadership Absence

Chidi Odinkalu, the former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has accused President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima of neglecting Nigeria's leadership by frequently being absent from the country. As Tinubu is currently in Paris on an extended vacation and Shettima is attending the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Odinkalu expressed concern over their simultaneous absence.

He pointed out that previous presidents, including Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and Muhammadu Buhari, adhered to a tradition of ensuring that the vice president remained in Nigeria when the president was away for extended periods. Odinkalu stated, “This is the first administration where the vice president and the president are making it a habit to leave the country without providing proper leadership,” emphasizing that such a practice had never occurred before.

He referenced Section 145 of the Nigerian Constitution, which does not mention provisions for a "working vacation.".