Vice-President Kashim Shettima has returned to Abuja after representing President Bola Tinubu at a high-level African Union meeting in Luanda, Angola.
Shettima arrived in the Nigerian capital on Monday following his participation in the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.
His trip was focused on continental peace and security, with Nigeria using the summit to push for stronger African-led responses to conflicts and other security challenges confronting the continent.
At the meeting, the Nigerian delegation advocated greater reliance on home-grown mechanisms for preventing and resolving conflicts, stressing the need for African countries to take more responsibility for maintaining peace and stability on the continent.
Nigeria also raised concerns over recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other foreign nationals in South Africa, calling for a coordinated continental response to the issue.
The country further backed the Luanda Action Plan and urged AU member states to strengthen their collective efforts towards addressing insecurity and political instability across Africa.
Nigeria also emphasised the importance of sustainable funding for the continent’s peace and security architecture, arguing that African-led institutions must have the resources and capacity required to respond effectively to crises.
After completing his official engagements in Angola, Shettima departed for Nigeria and subsequently returned to Abuja.
Shettima’s return comes amid political questions
The Vice-President’s return comes as questions had been raised over the absence of both Nigeria’s President and Vice-President from the country at the same time.
While Shettima was representing Tinubu at the AU summit, the President had travelled to Europe to begin a three-week annual vacation.
The simultaneous absence of the two highest-ranking elected officials in the country became a talking point at the G100 Summit of opposition political parties held in Abuja.
Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), questioned the situation while addressing participants at the opposition gathering.
Baba-Ahmed challenged the government to explain who was effectively overseeing the country while both the President and his deputy were abroad.
He also linked Tinubu’s foreign trip to allegations surrounding the President’s past in the United States, allegations that have repeatedly featured in Nigeria’s political discourse.
“We have a president who is out of the country, trying to cover up from Nigerians knowing the truth about what may have happened some years back when he was in America regarding drugs,” Baba-Ahmed alleged.
He added that Shettima was also outside the country on official assignment, before asking a question that quickly became a focal point of his criticism: “Who is in charge of the country now?”
With Shettima now back in Abuja, the temporary absence of both leaders has come to an end.