Again, Shettima Departs Nigeria In Tinubu’s Absence
Vice President Kashim Shettima will be representing President Bola Tinubu at Senegal’s 65th independence day anniversary celebrations taking place in Dakar.
Shettima departed Abuja on Thursday and is expected back in the country Friday.
“Senegal celebrates its Independence Day on April 4 each year, commemorating its freedom from French colonial rule in 1960. The day is marked by national pride, with ceremonies, parades and cultural events.
“The Vice President’s attendance at the annual event is in honour of an invitation extended to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the Senegalese President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, following the strong mutual relationship between Nigeria and Senegal.
“The Independence Day celebrations will be held at the Place de la Nation in Dakar, with President Faye playing host to Vice President Shettima and other distinguished guests from across Africa and beyond,” Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, said in a statement.
The VP’s trip is coming a day after President Bola Tinubu commenced a two-week retreat to Paris, France.
During the trip, Tinubu will review the progress of his administration’s ongoing reforms and engage in strategic planning ahead of his second anniversary, said the State House.
This is not the first time both Tinubu and Shettima have been away from the country.
Shettima, in October 2024, travelled out of the country to represent Tinubu at bilateral meetings in Sweden amid the president’s two-week leave in United Kingdom.
At the time, the presidency argued that the absence of the president and his vice did not pose any vacuum in Nigeria’s leadership.
“It is important to note that the President and Vice President are fully engaged with the nation’s affairs, even while they are away. There is no leadership vacuum in the country.
“All state organs are functioning as usual. The Senate President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ministers, and Service Chiefs are all in their respective positions, ensuring the smooth operation of the government.
“We had a similar situation in 2022 when former President Buhari and former Vice President Osinbajo were found to be simultaneously out of the country. President Buhari attended UNGA 77, while Osinbajo participated in the burial of Queen Elizabeth II.
“We have also experienced it during this administration. Between late April and early May this year, while President Tinubu was in London, after visiting the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, where he attended the World Economic Forum, Vice President Shettima left Nigeria, first of all for Nairobi to attend the International Development Association (IDA21) Heads of State Summit. After returning, he left for Dallas, Texas, to attend the US-Africa Business Summit organised by the Corporate Council on Africa. President Tinubu returned home on 8 May. During this time, the government’s machinery did not halt.
“The Constitution, a testament to our adaptability in the virtual age, does not explicitly require the physical presence of either the president or the vice president in the country at all times to fulfil his duties,” Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, had said.
Again, Shettima Departs Nigeria In Tinubu’s Absence is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
