Kehinde Fajobi
Former presidential spokesman, Laolu Akande, has expressed concern over President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima both being out of the country at the same time, saying it is not ideal for governance.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday, Akande noted that one of them should remain in the country.
“It is important for one of them to be on the ground because the work of governance requires a lot of hand-holding,” Akande said.
He added, “In my view, we still have a very serious problem of sustained trust in the relationship between the President and the Vice President over time.”
President Tinubu left Nigeria on October 2, 2024, for a two-week working leave in the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, Vice President Shettima departed for Sweden on Wednesday to represent Nigeria in bilateral discussions.
Responding to concerns, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga issued a statement on Wednesday, assuring the public that both leaders “are fully engaged with the nation’s affairs, even while they are away,” and that there is no vacuum in governance.
However, Akande insisted that this situation is far from ideal.
“The ideal thing is for us not to have a situation where both the president and the vice president are not in town, that’s the ideal situation,” he said.
Reflecting on his time in office, Akande recalled that such an overlap occurred only once, during the funeral of the Queen of England, which coincided with the United Nations General Assembly.
“In eight years, they managed to ensure that for the most part, one person is always on the ground,” he remarked.
He cited instances where the vice president cut short trips to ensure governance continuity.