• Ex-VP will offer accessible, responsive presidency, says ADC
• AAC asks court to determine legality of Tinubu’s extended vacation
• Presidency says Tinubu hale, hearty, directs govt from Europe
• Onanuga cites technology, says physical presence in Abuja unnecessary

The prolonged absence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from Nigeria has emerged as a campaign issue ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) promising that its candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, would provide a “physically present” and responsive presidency if elected.

The development came as the Presidency maintained that Tinubu was hale and hearty and continued to direct the affairs of government from Europe, while the African Action Congress (AAC) approached the Federal High Court, Abuja, over the constitutional implications of the President’s extended absence.

The ADC PCC assured Nigerians that Atiku would provide a physically present and responsive presidency if elected on May 29, 2027.

The council said Atiku would not be an “absentee President” who is unavailable when challenges confronting Nigerians require presidential attention.

Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC PCC, Kola Ologbondiyan, gave the assurance yesterday in Abuja while receiving the leadership of the Atiku Unity Movement (AUM), led by Francis Eburuwe.

Ologbondiyan said Atiku had consistently demonstrated an understanding of Nigeria’s economic and social challenges and proposed policy interventions to address them.

He recalled that during the 2023 presidential campaign, Atiku advocated a phased approach to the withdrawal of fuel subsidy, arguing that the process should not impose excessive pressure on Nigerians.

According to him, the experience of the past three years has reinforced the need for a presidency that is accessible, responsive and capable of taking timely decisions in the national interest.

“The country needs a President who understands the challenges confronting Nigerians and is physically available to respond to the demands of governance.

“Nigeria cannot afford a situation in which there is uncertainty over who is effectively directing the affairs of government at critical moments. The country requires firm and focused leadership,” he said.

Ologbondiyan said Atiku’s commitment to governance would focus on addressing the nation’s economic difficulties, improving citizens’ welfare and restoring confidence in public institutions.

He added that the ADC presidential candidate’s recent economic proposals were focused on reducing the burden of rising energy and living costs.

Atiku has publicly proposed a production-based intervention for petroleum products refined in Nigeria, with a fixed spending limit, National Assembly approval and independent audits.

Earlier, the leader of the AUM delegation, Francis Eburuwe, said the group was fully committed to Atiku’s candidacy and determined to mobilise Nigerians around what he described as the need for a change in the country’s political direction.

AAC asks court to determine constitutionality of Tinubu’s extended vacation
THE African Action Congress has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to determine whether Tinubu was constitutionally required to transmit a written declaration to the National Assembly before extending his vacation outside the country.

The suit, filed yesterday by the party’s National Legal Adviser and human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, also challenges the failure of the National Assembly to pass a resolution authorising Vice President Kashim Shettima to perform the functions of Acting President after the period specified under Section 145(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

In the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2353/2026, the AAC is seeking a declaration that the President’s alleged failure or refusal to transmit the required written declaration to the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives is unlawful and unconstitutional.

The party is also asking the court to declare that the National Assembly’s failure to pass a resolution enabling Shettima to assume the functions of Acting President after Tinubu’s vacation exceeded 21 days is contrary to the Constitution.

Joined as defendants are President Tinubu, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; and the National Assembly.

In a 30-paragraph affidavit filed in support of the suit, AAC National Secretary, Oshiokhue Philip Ikpeminoghena, stated that Tinubu travelled out of Nigeria on August 30, 2026, and subsequently announced an extension of his vacation on September 21.

The party is asking the court to issue a perpetual injunction restraining Tinubu and future presidents from proceeding on vacation without complying with the provisions of Section 145(1) of the Constitution.

The AAC is also seeking an order directing the relevant constitutional authorities to comply with the provisions governing the transfer of presidential functions whenever the President is unable to perform his duties.

The suit places before the court a constitutional question over the operation of Section 145(1), particularly the circumstances under which the Vice President assumes the functions of Acting President when the President is away from the country for an extended period.

The AAC’s 2027 presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, was present at the Federal High Court to witness the filing of the suit.

No date has been fixed for hearing.

Tinubu hale, hearty, working from Europe, says Presidency
MEANWHILE, the Presidency has dismissed concerns over Tinubu’s prolonged absence from Nigeria, saying the President is “hale and hearty” and has remained engaged with official responsibilities during his working vacation in Europe.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said on Sunday that Tinubu’s physical absence from Abuja did not prevent him from directing the affairs of government, particularly with modern communication technology.

Onanuga’s intervention followed renewed public debate over the President’s absence from the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, with opposition politician and presidential candidate Peter Obi questioning Tinubu’s whereabouts and decision to remain outside the country.

“Nigeria’s President is hale and hearty. He has been on a working vacation, which he is perfectly entitled to,” Onanuga said.

He added: “In this digital age, he does not need to be physically present in Abuja to do the work for which he was elected in 2023.”

Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for London at the beginning of his working vacation and subsequently travelled to Paris, where he held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré.

The Presidency had earlier said that Tinubu remained in contact with developments at home and continued to issue directives while away.

One of the major economic engagements cited by the Presidency was Tinubu’s involvement in the signing in Paris of agreements between the Ogun State Government and global ports operator, DP World, for the development of the Gateway Deep Seaport and the Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone.

The Presidency had formally announced that Tinubu would extend his working vacation and that Vice President Kashim Shettima would represent him at the 81st UN General Assembly.

Shettima subsequently travelled to New York on September 20 to lead Nigeria’s delegation and delivered the country’s national statement during the high-level segment of the General Debate. The UN General Debate ran from September 22 to 28.

Onanuga also pointed to the fact that other African presidents did not personally attend the high-level UNGA meetings, although their countries were represented.

In the case of Egypt, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly led the Egyptian delegation to New York at the direction of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and delivered Egypt’s statement at the General Debate.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, meanwhile, participated in UNGA-related proceedings through a pre-recorded message at a high-level event on inequality on September 23.

Against this background, Onanuga argued that Nigeria’s decision to send the Vice President was not without precedent and that Tinubu had made his vacation plans known while ensuring representation at the global gathering.

The Presidency said Tinubu would return to Nigeria this week to participate in activities marking the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

Opposition parties await Tinubu’s return as campaign activities remain subdued
WITH less than 110 days to the January 16, 2027 presidential election, the continued absence of President Tinubu from the country has led to a noticeable lull in campaign activities among the major political parties.

Findings by The Guardian showed that nearly all the 18 political parties that fielded presidential candidates for the forthcoming election are yet to make any serious moves to demonstrate their readiness to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress and the incumbent President.

It was learnt that the leading opposition parties are taking their time to ensure that the President is committed to a free, fair and credible election, amid claims that the ruling party is determined to rig the election to return Tinubu for a second term in office.

Apart from being President of the country, Tinubu is also chairman of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, which was constituted in August, with Vice President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, as vice-chairmen.

Even with former Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz Yari, as Director-General and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, as secretary, the absence of the chairman has left the committee in a quandary.

Without taking crucial decisions on strategy and planning, the presidential campaign structure has sought to maintain activity in the President’s absence by holding consultations with political stakeholders and traditional rulers, while APC governors and other party leaders have continued mobilisation across the states.

For a governing party seeking another term, the presidential candidate occupies a different political space from campaign officials and surrogates.

Tinubu’s physical presence would ordinarily provide a focal point for the campaign’s message, facilitate direct engagement with governors and party leaders, and enable him to respond personally to criticisms of his administration and explain the policies on which he is seeking a fresh mandate.

His absence has instead left much of that political engagement to Yari, governors, party officials and other allies.

Opposition’s window of opportunity
TINUBU’S absence has also created political space for opposition parties to question the President’s priorities and define their own narratives around the election.

Peter Obi criticised Tinubu’s decision to spend his annual leave in Europe, arguing that the President should be more focused on the challenges confronting Nigerians.

ctives while abroad. Among the issues on which he acted was the death of 37 detainees in Minna, for which he ordered an independent investigation.

The political significance of the absence, therefore, is not necessarily whether the government has continued to function. Rather, it is about who occupies the political space and defines the dominant narrative while the presidential candidate is away.

That contest is becoming more important as issues affecting households move further into the campaign.

Fuel prices, for instance, have risen sharply amid higher international crude prices. Reuters reported last week that petrol had reached about N1,400 per litre in Lagos and Abuja, with some northern locations recording prices as high as N1,500. The development has renewed concerns about the cost of living ahead of the election.

The issue provides the opposition with an opportunity to challenge the administration’s economic record, while the APC will have to explain the rationale for, and results of, the reforms implemented since 2023.

That debate requires sustained political communication, particularly from the candidate seeking another term.

Rainbow complication
ANOTHER factor complicating the campaign environment is the emergence of political support for Tinubu outside the formal APC structure.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has continued to mobilise support for Tinubu through the Rainbow Coalition, while insisting that the coalition is separate from the APC and focused on the President’s re-election.

Wike has also made clear that his support for Tinubu does not mean that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in which he remains a chieftain, will not field candidates for governorship and legislative elections.

The development adds another layer to the 2027 campaign.

The APC has its formal structure, while politicians outside the party are developing their own networks around Tinubu’s candidacy. Such cross-party mobilisation could widen the President’s support base, but it also raises questions about coordination where presidential, governorship and legislative interests do not necessarily coincide.

That tension has already surfaced, with APC governors expressing reservations about parallel political structures associated with the President’s re-election campaign.

For Tinubu, therefore, the challenge after his return will not simply be to campaign. It will also be to bring the different strands of support behind his candidacy into a sufficiently coherent national political message.

Expectations after Tinubu’s return
TINUBU’S expected return could mark a new phase in the APC campaign.

The party will need to move from consultations and organisational preparations towards a sustained presidential narrative around the administration’s record.

ing costs. He will also have to address issues of security, employment, infrastructure and social welfare.

The challenge will be to translate government policies and achievements into messages that resonate beyond political organisations and reach voters concerned primarily with the cost and quality of everyday life.

This is where the candidate’s personal engagement becomes important.

With the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027, the campaign window is already well advanced. INEC’s timetable provides for campaigns to continue until January 14, leaving a finite period for parties and candidates to make their cases to voters.

For the APC, therefore, the issue is not whether its political machinery can function without Tinubu. The past four weeks have demonstrated that it can.

The more consequential question is whether that machinery can maintain message discipline, national visibility and political momentum while the central figure around whom the presidential campaign is built remains physically absent.

Tinubu’s return will provide an early indication of whether the period of distributed mobilisation was merely an interim arrangement or whether the APC has developed a campaign structure capable of sustaining the contest with less dependence on the President’s physical presence.

With the electoral calendar already running, the campaign will ultimately be measured not simply by the number of rallies held, but by the clarity of the competing messages, the issues voters prioritise and the ability of political organisations to convert their structures into sustained engagement with the electorate.