Bwala Says Tinubu Can Govern Nigeria From Anywhere, Faults Atiku and Obi

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has defended the President’s continued governance of Nigeria from abroad, saying his constitutional powers are not restricted by geography.

Bwala made the statement on Tuesday while responding to questions raised by opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, over who is currently in charge of the country while both Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima are outside Nigeria.

Tinubu is currently on an extended working vacation in Paris, while Shettima is in New York representing the President and leading Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st United Nations General Assembly. The State House said Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria at the weekend.

In a post on X, Bwala argued that the President can exercise his constitutional responsibilities regardless of his physical location.

“For avoidance of doubt, the power of the President to govern Nigeria is not limited to geography,” Bwala wrote.

He added that as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the President could “order, direct, delegate and/or administer” the affairs of government from anywhere in the world.

Bwala was responding to concerns raised by Atiku about the President’s absence from Nigeria. Atiku has questioned whether Tinubu transmitted a written declaration under Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution when he proceeded on vacation. The provision requires the President to transmit such a declaration to the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives when proceeding on vacation or otherwise unable to discharge the functions of office.

Bwala also criticised Atiku and Obi, both presidential candidates in the 2027 election, accusing them of raising questions about the administration without presenting what he described as a clear alternative policy direction.

“You both have not yet defined and or explained a clear alternative path other than populist rhetoric,” he said.

The Presidency has separately maintained that Tinubu remains engaged in the running of the government despite being abroad. The State House said the President had continued directing national affairs during his vacation, including ordering an independent panel to investigate the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Minna.

The government has also said Shettima is carrying the President’s full mandate at the UN General Assembly. The Vice President is expected to deliver Nigeria’s national statement and participate in high-level meetings and bilateral engagements in New York.

The dispute has therefore centred on two separate issues: whether the President can constitutionally exercise his powers while abroad and whether the required procedure for presidential absence under Section 145 has been followed. The competing political positions remain part of the wider debate over Tinubu’s extended absence from Nigeria.