29 Days Abroad, Tinubu’s Prolonged Absence Triggers Fresh Questions

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 29-day stay outside Nigeria has generated renewed debate, with opposition figures demanding greater transparency over his whereabouts and the arrangements for running the government in his absence.

Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for what the Presidency initially announced as a three-week working vacation in Europe. He first travelled to London before moving to Paris, where he met French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré.

The initial three-week period was due to end on September 21. However, the Presidency announced that the President had extended his stay by a few days and would return at the weekend.

That return did not happen as earlier announced, with the latest information from the Presidency indicating that Tinubu is now expected back in Nigeria on Tuesday, September 29.

The extended absence, coupled with the President’s decision not to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, has triggered fresh questions from opposition politicians and groups.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, in particular, demanded a clear explanation from the Presidency, saying Nigerians deserved to know the circumstances surrounding the extension of the President’s stay abroad.

“ The Presidency owes Nigerians a clear and transparent explanation,” said Kola Ologbondiyan, Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.

‘Nigerians Deserve Openness, Not Secrecy’ — ADC

The opposition campaign council said the President’s continued absence had inevitably generated public concern, particularly because the original vacation period had already elapsed.

According to the ADC, Nigerians were entitled to know the President’s whereabouts and the arrangements governing the exercise of presidential authority while he remained outside the country.

The party also questioned the role of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, in representing the President at official functions while Vice-President Kashim Shettima was also away in the United States for the UNGA.

It called for clear information on the constitutional arrangements in place during the President’s absence, arguing that presidential authority could not be treated as a private matter because it directly affected the governance of the country.

The ADC said the situation was particularly significant given the economic pressures, hardship and security challenges facing Nigerians.

“Nigerians deserve openness, not secrecy,” the campaign council said, urging the Presidency to provide what it described as a comprehensive and unambiguous explanation.

The latest position followed earlier concerns raised by the party over the absence of both Tinubu and Shettima from the country and questions about the constitutional procedure governing presidential absence.

‘Where Is Nigeria’s President?’ — Obi Queries

Former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate Peter Obi also questioned Tinubu’s prolonged absence, focusing particularly on the President’s non-attendance at the UNGA.

Obi raised the issue after watching an address by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama at the global gathering in New York.

Through his media office, Obi contrasted Mahama’s presence at the UN with Tinubu’s absence and questioned why the Nigerian President had not personally attended the international gathering.

“Where is the President of Africa’s most populous nation, a country of more than 200 million people?” Obi asked.

He acknowledged that Vice-President Kashim Shettima was in New York representing Nigeria but maintained that the Vice-President’s attendance did not resolve the question surrounding Tinubu’s absence.

Tinubu had directed Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 81st UNGA, where the Vice-President delivered Nigeria’s national statement.

The Presidency, however, has defended the decision, saying Tinubu had formally delegated the responsibility to Shettima and remained engaged with government business while abroad.

Tinubu Returns Tuesday to Mark Independence Day in Lagos — Presidency

The Presidency has maintained that Tinubu is well and has continued to discharge his responsibilities despite being outside the country.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the President was on a working vacation and did not need to be physically present in Abuja to perform his duties in an era of digital communication.

“Nigeria’s President is hale and hearty. He has been on a working vacation, which he is perfectly entitled to,” Onanuga said.

He cited Tinubu’s meetings with investors in France and his reported involvement in efforts surrounding a $7 billion deep-sea port project in Ogun State as evidence that the President had continued working while abroad.

The Presidency also pointed out that other African leaders, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, did not attend this year’s UNGA.

Tinubu is now expected to return to Nigeria on Tuesday through Lagos and remain in the commercial capital through October 1 for the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

He is expected to deliver a national broadcast as part of the anniversary activities and attend the Lagos premiere of a film commemorating the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.

The President is expected to spend some days in Lagos attending official engagements before returning to Abuja next weekend.

During his absence, the Presidency has said Tinubu continued receiving briefings and issuing directives on national matters. One of the major actions attributed to him was the directive for an independent investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners held by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State.

The Federal Government subsequently constituted a 10-member investigative committee, while some NSCDC personnel were suspended pending the outcome of the inquiry.