When Leadership Goes Airborne

Every few years, when Nigeria is struggling and its leaders are abroad, the same question returns: must the president be physically present for the country to function? Strictly speaking, no. The harder question is whether Nigerians should watch the president, vice-president and an increasingly costly presidential entourage criss-cross the world without asking whether the timing, expense and necessity make sense.

President Bola Tinubu left Abuja on Aug. 30 for a three-week annual leave in Europe, beginning in London. The Presidency called it a working vacation and said he would return to join the “hectic campaign” ahead of the January 2027 elections. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra governor Peter Obi criticized the decision, arguing that a country confronting insecurity and hardship, including food and transport costs, should command more of the president’s physical attention.

Yet the criticism carries an irony. Atiku served under President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was himself frequently mocked for foreign travel, sometimes leaving the impression that Abuja was simply a transit lounge between international engagements. That history does not invalidate today’s criticism, nor does the opposition’s involvement make it wrong. A hypocrite can still make a valid argument. The more useful test is whether the same standard applies to whoever occupies Aso Rock.

The Constitution does not require a president to remain permanently at Aso Rock. Section 145 allows the president to transmit a written declaration to the Senate president and the speaker stating that he is on vacation or otherwise unable to perform his duties. The vice-president then acts as president until a contrary declaration arrives. There is therefore no automatic constitutional vacuum when the president boards a plane.

But constitutional legality is only the floor of responsible leadership. A mature administration should maintain continuity while its chief executive is away: decisions should continue, emergencies should be handled, ministers should remain accountable and intelligence should keep flowing. The real question is whether government keeps turning without everyone waiting for the presidential aircraft to return.

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hectic campaign