President Bola Tinubu will return to Nigeria this week, with the Presidency saying he is “hale and hearty” after spending several weeks in Europe on a working vacation.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, disclosed this in a post on X on Sunday.
Onanuga said Tinubu had been on a working vacation but continued to discharge his responsibilities remotely.
He said the President had also been meeting investors in France, adding that his absence from Abuja had not prevented him from working.
According to him, Tinubu recently facilitated a proposed $7 billion deep-sea port project at Ogun Waterside, an initiative of the Ogun State Government.
The presidential aide also defended Tinubu’s decision not to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, noting that Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria at the event.
Onanuga compared Tinubu’s absence with that of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who also did not attend the UNGA in person.
“The Nigerian President announced he was taking his annual vacation and delegated attendance to his able and dependable Vice President,” Onanuga said.
He also criticised Peter Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, for questioning Tinubu’s whereabouts despite the President’s vacation having been publicly announced.
Onanuga said Tinubu was expected back in Nigeria this week, ahead of the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
He added that the President would attend the premiere of a movie on the late Moshood Abiola in Lagos as part of activities to honour the former politician, whom he described as “the martyr of the democracy we enjoy today.”
Tinubu’s return had earlier become uncertain following a last-minute change to his travel plans.
The President had initially been expected to return to Nigeria on Sunday after spending weeks in Europe. He was reportedly expected to arrive in Lagos, where he could spend several days before proceeding to Abuja.
Onanuga’s latest statement, however, indicates that Tinubu is still expected to return to the country this week.
About the Author
