By Peace Erewunmi

Arise Television anchor and former presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, has dismissed concerns raised by the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, over President Bola Tinubu’s three-week working vacation in Europe.

Atiku had criticised the President’s decision to leave Nigeria amid the country’s economic and security challenges, describing the situation as a “disturbing vacuum of political leadership.”

However, reacting on Monday during an episode of The Morning Show, Abati described some of the concerns raised by Atiku’s camp as “embarrassing” and not properly researched.

Abati argued that President Tinubu was constitutionally entitled to travel and could visit any destination of his choice, provided his absence did not exceed the period that would require a formal transfer of power.

According to him, the Presidency appeared to have deliberately kept the President’s trip within the 21-day threshold provided under Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has now gone on what they call a working vacation for three weeks, which he is entitled to,” Abati said.

“If you break that down, I think the major concern, as I see it, is that the Presidency has tried to stay within the 21-day threshold under Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.

“I guess if the President travels and it doesn’t exceed 21 days, he doesn’t have to hand over. So, there’s no evidence that the President has handed over.

“As for a working vacation, state visit or whatever, he is entitled to it. So, wherever he wants to go, he can go.”

Abati, however, noted that the more significant issue surrounding the President’s departure was the reported absence of Vice President Kashim Shettima from the country at the same time.

He said the opposition should have focused more on the implications of both the President and Vice President being outside Nigeria simultaneously rather than questioning Tinubu’s constitutional right to embark on the trip.

Atiku had earlier argued that Tinubu’s decision to travel for three weeks came at a time when Nigerians were facing economic hardship, rising transportation costs, food insecurity and worsening insecurity.

The former Vice President maintained that while the country might not be experiencing a constitutional vacuum, there was what he described as a “disturbing vacuum of political leadership.”

President Tinubu departed Abuja for Europe on Sunday to begin a three-week vacation as part of his annual leave, with London listed as his first destination.