Okupe defends Tinubu, Shettima’s absence, says commanders take time off during war

Doyin Okupe, a former presidential aide, says President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima are entitled to travel out of the country simultaneously.

Tinubu is on a two-week vacation in the United Kingdom (UK) and has recently visited France, while Shettima is in Sweden for a two-day official visit.

Nigerians have raised concerns over their absence, claiming that no one is in charge of the country’s affairs.

Speaking with NAN on Friday, Okupe said the impression that no one is in charge of governance due to Tinubu and Shettima’s absence is “false and preposterous”.

“Presidents and chief executives, globally, do take time off to rest for a little while,” he said.

“Even in war situations, field commanders go off duty to cool off from war theatres.

“Whether the president is in Abuja, Kaura Namoda, Pankshin, Oguta, Ilesha, Yenagoa, London, or Paris, all instruments of command and control are accessible and available to him 24/7.”

Okupe said critics of the president’s absence are exposing their “crass ignorance” and do not appreciate the “overriding influence of modern information management on contemporary governance”.

On Wednesday, the presidency said the absence of both Tinubu and Shettima would not create a leadership vacuum in the country.

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said Tinubu and Shettima “are fully engaged with the nation’s affairs, even while they are away”.

“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,” Onanuga had said.