ADC demands full disclosure on Tinubu’s absence

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has charged the Presidency to make full disclosure about the President Bola Tinubu’s absence from Nigeria, six days after the expiration of his originally announced three-week vacation.

The ADC Campaign Council, in a statement by its Director, Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, expressed concern that as of yesterday, President Tinubu was yet to return to the country following the expiration of the vacation reportedly scheduled to end on September 21.

Ologbondiyan noted that the Presidency owes Nigerians a clear and transparent explanation, stating that the continued absence of the President without sufficient public information on his whereabouts or the circumstances surrounding the extension of his stay abroad, had inevitably generated questions and public concern

Part of the statement read: “The office of the President is a public trust. Nigerians who elected President Tinubu are entitled to know where their President is, and more importantly, who is exercising presidential authority while he remains outside the country.

“This is particularly important at a time when Nigeria is confronted by serious economic pressures, widespread hardship and persistent security challenges.  The country cannot afford uncertainty at the highest level of government.

“The Presidency must also clarify the status of the President’s vacation and explain the constitutional basis for the current arrangement, particularly where the President remains away from the country beyond the period earlier communicated to Nigerians.

“Nigerians deserve openness, not secrecy. Presidential movements and the exercise of executive authority cannot be treated as matters of private convenience when they directly concern the governance of a nation of more than 200 million people.

“The ADC is equally concerned by the reported decision to extend the President’s vacation and the directive that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, should continue to represent the President at official functions.

“While the Presidency may provide administrative explanations for the arrangement, the ADC believes that such explanations do not answer the fundamental question confronting Nigerians: who is constitutionally and effectively in charge of the affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria while the President remains away?

‘The ADC joins concerned Nigerians in demanding transparency, accountability and respect for the constitutional responsibilities attached to the office of President.

“President Tinubu was elected to lead Nigeria, and Nigerians have a legitimate expectation that the Presidency will keep them adequately informed about matters affecting the exercise of presidential authority.

“The ADC therefore calls on the Presidency to immediately provide Nigerians with a comprehensive and unambiguous explanation. Silence can only deepen public anxiety and fuel speculation.”