President Bola Tinubu will proceed on a two-week vacation today.

A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the “working vacation” is part of his yearly leave.

It also said the president will travel to the United Kingdom and return to Nigeria after the leave expires.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja today for the United Kingdom to begin a two-week vacation, part of his yearly leave.

“He will use the two weeks as a working vacation and a retreat to reflect on his administration’s economic reforms.

“He will return to the country after the leave expires,” the statement said.

It is the first time President Tinubu will go on leave since he assumed office in May 2023, though he embarked on several foreign trips between then and now.

The constitution requires the president to write the National Assembly, informing it of his plan to proceed on vacation. It is unclear if President Tinubu did so.

Section 145 (1) states that: “Whenever the President transmits to the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the vice-president as acting president.”

(2) ‘’In the event that the President is unable or fails to transmit the written declaration mentioned in subsection (1) of this section within 21 days, the National Assembly shall, by a resolution made by a simple majority of the vote of each House of the National Assembly, mandate the Vice-President to perform the functions of the office of the President as Acting President until the President transmits a letter to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives that he is now available to resume his functions as President.’’

President Tinubu recently returned from a trip to China and the UK while his deputy, Vice President Kashim Shettima, returned from the United States, where he represented his principal at the 2024 UN General Assembly.

On Monday, the president broadcast to the nation to mark its 64 Independence Anniversary.

Unlike his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, President Tinubu had never handed over power to his deputy, Kashim Shettima, while away from the country.

On several occasions, Mr Buhari transmitted power to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, beginning in February 2016, less than one year after both assumed office.

In 2017, Mr Osinbajo ran the country in acting capacity for about 51 days when there was uncertainty over Mr Buhari’s health. It was the third time within the two years that the vice president acted as acting president.