Tinubu Heads To London On Three-Week Annual Leave Ahead Of Campaign

President Bola Tinubu on Sunday departed Abuja for Europe to begin a three-week annual leave, with London, United Kingdom, as his first destination.

The Presidency said the trip was a working vacation, with Tinubu expected to return to Nigeria at the end of the break and join the campaign for the January 2027 presidential election.

The President’s departure was announced by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who said in a statement that Tinubu would spend three weeks in Europe as part of his annual leave.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja today for Europe to begin a three-week vacation as part of his annual leave. His first stop will be London, United Kingdom,” Onanuga said.

He added that the President was expected to return home after the working vacation to join the “hectic campaign” for the January 2027 election.

The latest trip comes at a politically significant time, with the 2027 election campaign season already underway and parties intensifying their mobilisation across the country.

The Independent National Electoral Commission opened the campaign period for the presidential and National Assembly elections on August 19, giving political parties and their candidates the green light to begin full-scale campaigns ahead of the January 16, 2027 polls.

Tinubu, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, is expected to face a strong challenge from opposition parties as the race gathers momentum.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is contesting under the African Democratic Congress, while Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso are among the prominent opposition figures expected to play major roles in the election.

The economy is already emerging as a major issue in the campaign, with the removal of petrol subsidy, cost-of-living pressures, inflation and the impact of the administration’s reforms likely to feature prominently in the contest.

Tinubu has consistently defended his economic policies, particularly the decision to remove petrol subsidy, arguing that the measure was necessary to reduce pressure on government finances and create room for investment and long-term economic growth.

The President’s three-week break also comes after a similar vacation by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Shettima resumed official duties on August 18 after spending 12 days on an approved leave which began on August 6. The Presidency had said the leave was intended to give him time for “study, reflection and intellectual renewal” while reviewing initiatives under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

On Saturday, a day before Tinubu’s departure, Shettima left Abuja for Luanda, Angola, to represent the President at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the African Union Assembly.

The simultaneous absence of the President and Vice President has also drawn attention, particularly because the Presidency did not indicate in its Sunday statement whether Tinubu had formally transferred presidential powers to Shettima during the vacation.

Under Nigeria’s constitutional arrangement, a president who is proceeding on a temporary absence can formally notify the National Assembly and transfer the functions of the office to the Vice President. Premium Times reported on Sunday that Onanuga did not state whether such a handover had taken place.

At least eight foreign trips in 2026

Tinubu’s latest departure also adds to his foreign travel record since the beginning of the year.

According to the ICIR foreign travel tracker, the President had made seven foreign trips in 2026 before Sunday’s departure. His recorded destinations included France, the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, France again, Kenya and Rwanda.

The President travelled to France on January 4, Abu Dhabi on January 11 and Ankara, Türkiye, on January 26. He subsequently travelled to London in March before making further trips to France, Nairobi and Kigali in May.

Sunday’s journey therefore represents at least the eighth time Tinubu has departed Nigeria for a foreign destination in 2026, although the three-week vacation could involve additional European destinations that were not disclosed by the Presidency.

The number does not necessarily represent eight separate countries, as some of the journeys involved multiple destinations or repeat visits to the same country.

The President’s foreign travels have remained a recurring feature of his administration. In 2025, he travelled to 11 countries for official and other engagements.

His latest annual leave is also not his first extended vacation since assuming office. In September 2025, Tinubu embarked on a 10-working-day vacation in Europe, spending time in France and the UK. The Presidency described that trip as a working vacation.

The current break, however, comes with the 2027 election only months away, making Tinubu’s pledge to return for the campaign particularly significant.

The President is expected back in Nigeria in September, after which he will resume official duties and join the APC’s campaign activities as the party seeks to secure another four-year term for him.

With the campaign season now formally open, Tinubu’s return is expected to coincide with increased political activity as the ruling party and opposition groups take their campaigns to the states and local communities.

For the President, the coming months will combine the demands of governing with the increasingly intense contest for votes as Nigerians prepare to decide whether to give him another term in office.