The African Action Congress (AAC) has sued President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly over the President’s failure to transmit a written declaration transferring presidential functions to Vice President Kashim Shettima during his extended vacation in Europe.
The suit was filed on Monday at the Federal High Court in Abuja by the AAC’s National Legal Adviser, Inibehe Effiong. President Tinubu, Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas and the National Assembly were listed as defendants.
The party is asking the court to determine whether Section 145(1) of the 1999 Constitution requires the President to transmit a written declaration to the Senate President and House Speaker before proceeding on vacation.
The AAC also wants the court to determine whether the National Assembly was required to pass a resolution authorising Shettima to act as President after Tinubu’s absence exceeded 21 days.
The party said Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30, 2026, for a working vacation in Europe and later extended his stay. It is seeking declarations that the alleged failure to transmit the required notice and the National Assembly’s failure to act were unconstitutional.
The AAC is also seeking an injunction restraining Tinubu and future presidents from proceeding on vacation without complying with the relevant constitutional provisions.
The Presidency has maintained that Tinubu continued to perform his official duties while abroad. No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.
