Some members of the House of Representatives, under the Save Democracy Group, have urged the National Assembly to reconvene over President Bola Tinubu’s extended stay abroad.

The lawmakers want both chambers to clarify whether Tinubu complied with the constitutional requirement concerning his absence from Nigeria.

They made the demand in a statement issued on Wednesday amid questions over the President’s continued stay outside the country.

Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for what the Presidency described as a three-week working vacation. He travelled to London before moving on to Paris, France.

The Presidency later announced that Tinubu had extended his stay by a few days. It said he would return to Nigeria at the weekend.

The lawmakers based their demand on Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution, which addresses the President’s absence from office.

They said Section 145(1) requires the President to transmit a written declaration to the Senate President and House Speaker when he proceeds on vacation.

According to the lawmakers, the declaration allows the Vice-President to perform the functions of President in an acting capacity.

They further cited Section 145(2), which provides for action by the National Assembly if the President fails to transmit the declaration within 21 days.

The lawmakers said both chambers can, through simple-majority resolutions, mandate the Vice-President to perform the functions of President as Acting President.

They therefore asked Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to publicly clarify whether Tinubu transmitted the required declaration.

“If it was transmitted, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives should immediately make that fact clear to Nigerians,” they said.

The group said the National Assembly should reconvene if the President did not transmit the declaration within the stipulated period.

It said the legislature should then take the steps outlined in Section 145(2) of the Constitution.

The lawmakers also rejected the argument that Tinubu’s continued communication with government officials settles the constitutional issue.

“The question is not whether modern technology allows the President to work from another country. The question is whether the Constitution has been obeyed,” they said.

They stressed that the issue centres on constitutional procedure rather than the President’s ability to issue directives while abroad.

The lawmakers also urged the National Assembly leadership to make the situation clear to Nigerians without leaving room for speculation.

Their statement was signed on behalf of the group by a member representing Andoni/Opobo-Nkoro Federal Constituency of Rivers State, Awaji-Inombek Abiante and Abubakar Yahaya of Katsina State.

The demand comes as Vice-President Kashim Shettima is in New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly. He is representing Nigeria at the international gathering.

The Presidency has maintained that Tinubu remains in contact with officials and continues to direct government affairs while abroad.

The controversy has consequently renewed attention on the constitutional procedure for handling a President’s prolonged absence from the country.

The Save Democracy Group said the National Assembly must address the matter through the provisions of the Constitution.