The Presidency has given an update on the state of health of President Bola Tinubu.
It said he was hale and hearty, noting that he would return to Nigeria this week following his working vacation.
Presidential Spokesperson, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement posted on his official X handle on Sunday. According to Onanuga, President Tinubu will return via Lagos to participate in activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, including attending the Lagos premiere of a film commemorating the late democracy icon, Chief MKO Abiola.
Addressing concerns over his absence, Onanuga stated:
“Nigeria’s President is hale and hearty. He has been on a working vacation, which he is perfectly entitled to. In this digital age, he does not need to be physically present in Abuja to do the work for which he was elected in 2023.”
During his time abroad, the President actively engaged in official duties, including meeting with investors in France and overseeing the signing of agreements for a proposed $7 billion deep-sea port in Ogun Waterside.
Tinubu originally departed Nigeria on August 30 for London to begin a three-week working vacation. After spending about a week in the United Kingdom, he traveled to Paris for official engagements before extending his stay abroad by a few days on September 21.
Onanuga clarified that Vice-President Kashim Shettima was delegated to represent Nigeria at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He noted that other African leaders—such as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi—were also absent from UNGA without generating similar public controversy.
Furthermore, the spokesperson criticized opposition statements, specifically pointing to presidential candidate Peter Obi (NDC) for questioning Tinubu’s whereabouts, emphasizing that the President’s itinerary and engagements had been transparently communicated by the Presidency from the onset.
