News
ADC: Tinubu, Shettima’s absence leaves Nigeria in constitutional crisis
The African Democratic Congress has described the continued absence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while Vice-President Kashim Shettima is also outside Nigeria, as a dangerous disregard for the Constitution.
The party, in a statement by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, said that Section 145 of the Constitution requires the President, when proceeding on vacation for a period of up to 21 days, to transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, after which the Vice-President performs the functions of Acting President.
“President Tinubu left Nigeria on 30 August and has now been away for more than 21 days. We therefore demand to know whether the required declaration was transmitted by the President. If he did not, we would like to know why the National Assembly has ignored Section 145 of the Constitution,” the ADC said.
The opposition party also rejected the Presidency’s explanation that the President was on a “working vacation” or that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, would represent President Tinubu at official events, dismissing it as “an absurdity that raises more questions than it answers.”
“Representing the President at events and ceremonies does not confer constitutional powers. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation is a mere appointee of the President. He may attend events or deliver speeches on the President’s behalf, but he cannot exercise the constitutional powers of the President or Acting President,” the party said.
Shettima arrives New York for UN general assembly
Vice President Kashim Shettima is received on arrival in New York by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President) Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, Minister of Women Affairs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, and other officials.
“Representation is not governance. Attendance at official functions is not presidential authority. Nigeria cannot be governed through ceremonial proxies, telephone calls and press statements issued from foreign capitals.”
The party added that the claim that the President has continued to direct national affairs from abroad only “compounds the absurdity”, saying that a so-called “working vacation” does not remove the President’s constitutional obligations under Section 145.
“There is no constitutional category known as a ‘working vacation’. Presidential authority cannot be transferred by convenience, protocol or press statement. Nigeria is a constitutional democracy, not a private enterprise to be managed remotely from a holiday destination.”
The ADC said it was particularly troubling that the President and Vice-President were simultaneously absent while Nigerians confronted worsening insecurity, unemployment and an unbearable cost-of-living crisis.
In a similar vein, the ADC also described as a “national disgrace” the fact that President Emmanuel Macron of France is in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly, while President Tinubu is vacationing in Paris, the capital of France.
“The irony would be amusing if it were not a national disgrace. At a time when world leaders are advancing their countries’ interests at the United Nations General Assembly, Nigeria’s President is holed up in the French capital while his host has left to pursue his own country’s national interest.
“President Tinubu cannot be vacationing in Paris while President Macron is in New York representing France and expect Nigerians to accept that it is okay for their President to continue to hang around in a country after the host has left to attend to more important things. This is not merely poor optics. It is a national embarrassment.”
The party called on the Presidency and the National Assembly to provide a direct answer to one question:
“Who presently exercises the constitutional powers of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and under what provision of the Constitution?”
The Senate on Thursday called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a corps member, Etimbuk Daniel, at an NYSC orientation camp in Enugu.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Sen. Aniekan Bassey (APC-Akwa Ibom North-East) during plenary.
Bassey said the Senate received with shock and profound grief the news of Daniel’s death while undergoing the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in Enugu.
Etimbuk Daniel
He described the deceased as an outstanding student leader and former Students’ Union Government (SUG) president of Akwa Ibom State University who had embarked on national service.
Bassey expressed concern over reports that Daniel died following complications from a minor headache after allegedly experiencing delays in receiving adequate medical attention at the camp’s clinic.
He said the incident raised concerns about healthcare services in NYSC orientation camps, particularly the availability of qualified medical personnel, functional facilities and effective emergency referral systems.
The senator said the reported lapses highlighted the need to review healthcare delivery in orientation camps to prevent similar tragedies and protect corps members.
He emphasised that the government had a constitutional responsibility to safeguard citizens’ welfare, adding that young graduates mobilised for national service deserved adequate medical care throughout their service.
Bassey said Daniel’s death had plunged his family, the Akwa Ibom State University community and the entire state into mourning.
Seconding the motion, Sen. Mohammed Monguno (APC-Borno North) supported the call for an investigation, emphasising the importance of establishing the circumstances surrounding Daniel’s death and ensuring accountability.
The Senate observed a minute of silence in honour of the deceased and prayed that God would grant his family the strength to bear the loss.
It also called for a thorough investigation to establish the facts surrounding Daniel’s death and determine whether negligence contributed to the incident.
The Senate directed its committees on Police, Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Youth Development, and Health to investigate the matter alongside the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the proceedings, thanked Bassey for bringing the matter before the Senate and urged the relevant committees to conduct a thorough investigation. (NAN)
Senator Abdul Ningi has recounted how his colleague, Bello Mandiya, reportedly died after slipping in his bathroom and hitting his head, with his body discovered about 72 hours later in his Abuja residence.
Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central Senatorial District, said neighbours discovered Mandiya’s lifeless body after a foul smell began emanating from his apartment and residents became concerned about his prolonged absence.
Speaking during a Senate plenary session, Ningi said he was in Saudi Arabia when he received a telephone call from his son informing him of Mandiya’s death.
He said his son was among those who discovered the former lawmaker’s body on Monday, September 7, 2026.
Recounting the events leading to the discovery, Ningi said a colleague had last seen Mandiya at about 11am on Friday, September 4, before the former senator returned to his residence, where he lived alone.
According to him, Mandiya was preparing to attend the Friday congregational prayer when he reportedly slipped and hit his head after bathing.
“He brought out his cap, his phones, and put them on the bed, and went into the bathroom to take his bath,” Ningi said.
“After taking his bath, when he was out of the bathroom, then he slipped and knocked his head in the bathroom.”
Ningi said nobody realised what had happened until the stench from Mandiya’s apartment began spreading to neighbouring properties.
“For 72 hours, Mr President, nobody knew where Bello Mandiya was,” he told the Senate.
He said the chief imam of Apo also raised the alarm after noticing that Mandiya, who regularly joined other Muslims for the five daily prayers, had been absent for three consecutive days.
The combination of the imam’s concern and the foul smell prompted residents to investigate the apartment.
Ningi said those who went to the residence eventually broke open the door and found Mandiya’s body in the bathroom.
“And there lies Bello Mandiya in the bathroom, lifeless. Seventy-two hours, and that’s a simple tragedy,” he said.
Expressing sadness over the circumstances of his colleague’s death, Ningi said the incident highlighted the uncertainty of life, noting that nobody could predict when death would come.
He also expressed condolences to Mandiya’s family, the people of Katsina State and the constituents he represented in the Senate.
Before his election to the Senate, Mandiya served as chief of staff to former Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari.
He was elected in 2019 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress to represent Katsina South Senatorial District and served in the ninth National Assembly until 2023. He also chaired the Senate Committee on Water Resources.
Mandiya’s death prompted tributes from political leaders and former colleagues, who remembered him for his contributions to public service in Katsina State and at the national level.
Ningi, who said he had known Mandiya since 2002, described the loss as a reminder that political office, wealth and social status could not shield anyone from the fragility of life.
“There is nothing permanent about anything. Nothing permanent about our position, nothing permanent about our wealth,” he said.
He prayed for Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest and give his family the strength to bear the loss. (Daily Trust)
Suspected political thugs have attacked the secretariat of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, destroying property at the facility.
The attack, reported on Wednesday, October 14, comes barely a week after NDC complained of a similar incident in Enugu.
A video circulating on social media showed damage to property within the Edo secretariat, although no casualties had been reported as of the time of filing this report.
In the footage, a woman accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of being responsible for the attack, linking the incident to the earlier violence in Enugu, which is being investigated by the police.
“The last one happened in Enugu, where one person allegedly died. Now they have brought it to Edo. APC, your end is here,” she said.
Her allegation against the APC has not been independently verified, while the identities of those responsible for the attack remain unknown.
The reported incident follows growing concerns over political violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The earlier incident in Enugu had prompted Governor Peter Mbah to demand an impartial police investigation, warning that anyone found responsible would face prosecution regardless of political connections.
It was not immediately clear whether security agencies had commenced an investigation into the Edo attack or identified any suspects.
-
News1 day ago2027: Why I wont attend every campaign rally – Tinubu
-
Features1 day ago
Aguleri/Umuoba Anam Crisis: The Bloody Battle Between Close Neighbours
-
News1 day ago
EFCC probes Atiku over alleged corruption committed as Vice President
-
News8 hours ago
How Senator Mandiya died after bathroom fall in Abuja Home – Ningi
-
News6 hours ago
Senate fumes over death of NYSC Corps member at Enugu Camp, orders probe
-
News1 day ago
‘Anyone who attempts suicide and fails will go to jail,’ says Akpabio
-
Features3 days ago
Enugu Political Flashpoint: Mbah orders Impartial Probe as NDC Incidents Trigger Controversy
-
News3 days ago
BREAKING: Soludo, Wike, Adeleke, others appointed member of APC Presidential Campaign Council
