The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has said the President can govern Nigeria from anywhere in the world.
Bwala made the statement on Tuesday while responding to questions raised by opposition figures Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi over who is in charge of the country while both President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima are outside Nigeria.
Tinubu is currently on vacation in Paris, while Shettima is in the United States attending the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Bwala criticised the two opposition figures for questioning who is running the country, arguing that the President’s constitutional powers to govern Nigeria are not restricted by his physical location.
In a post on X, Bwala said the President could exercise his constitutional powers from anywhere in the world.
“It is funny how opposition candidates are asking the question who is in charge of Nigeria simply because the president and Vice President are out of the country.”
He added that the President, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, could issue directives and delegate responsibilities while outside the country.
“For avoidance of doubt, the power of the president to govern Nigeria is not limited to geography. As commander in chief of the armed forces, he can order, direct, delegate and or administer the constitution of Nigeria anywhere in the world. See Section 5 of the Constitution,” Bwala wrote.
Bwala also challenged Atiku and Obi to explain what he described as a clear alternative to the Tinubu administration’s approach.
“@atiku and @PeterObi, you both have not yet defined and or explained a clear alternative path other than populist rhetoric,” he said.
The comments come amid political debate over the President’s absence from the country and the Vice President’s international engagements.
