African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has alleged that President Bola Tinubu is currently hospitalized and receiving medical treatment in France, attributing the president's prolonged absence from Nigeria to a undisclosed health condition.

 

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s *Prime Time*, Sowore argued that the Presidency's brief public updates are designed to hide the severity of the situation from the Nigerian public.

 

### "They Used the Same Script for Yar’Adua and Buhari"

 

Drawing direct comparisons to previous administrations, Sowore claimed that officials are reusing old political playbooks to explain away extended absences without transferring power to the Vice President.

 

> *"Reliable sources have said Tinubu is undergoing treatment in France. Those once-in-a-while appearances are designed to fool the public,"* Sowore asserted.

> *"They used the same language when Yar’Adua and Buhari were sick and in the hospital for a long time, saying the president can govern from anywhere... Tinubu is hospitalised in France. I don’t know what ailment it is because we don’t have those details, and that is why they have not discharged him from the hospital."*

 

### Legal Experts Challenge "Working Vacation" Status

 

The controversy surrounding the president's absence comes as legal experts and Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) challenge the constitutional basis of his trip.

 

President Tinubu departed Abuja on August 30 for what the Presidency originally termed a three-week "working vacation" in Europe. On September 21, officials announced an extension, setting his return for Tuesday, September 30—coinciding with the resumption of the National Assembly.

 

Constitutional lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ahamba, criticized the terminology used by presidential aides:

 

* **No Constitutional Basis:** Ahamba noted that the 1999 Constitution makes no provision for a "working vacation," stating that a president is either actively working or officially on leave.

* **Section 145 Debate:** The month-long absence has reignited calls regarding Section 145 of the Constitution, which governs the formal transmission of power to the Vice President when the President is incapacitated or on extended leave.

 

As the National Assembly resumes legislative activities, public debate remains intense over governance continuity, transparency, and executive accountability during foreign trips.