The Presidency has asserted that President Bola Tinubu remains actively engaged in governing Nigeria despite his current stay in Europe.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, in a statement released on Thursday, clarified that Tinubu’s absence is temporary and within the previously communicated timeframe of approximately two weeks.
Onanuga stated that the President, who traveled from Paris to London over the weekend, is maintaining regular communication with key government officials, overseeing critical national issues, and issuing directives to security chiefs to address emerging threats in various parts of the country.
He confirmed that Tinubu’s return to Abuja and resumption of duties at Aso Villa will occur after the Easter holiday.
“The President’s commitment to his duties remains unwavering, and his administration continues to function effectively under his leadership. We appreciate the public’s concern and assure all Nigerians that governance proceeds without interruption,” the statement concluded.
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This statement comes in response to calls from opposition leaders, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, for the President to return home and address the escalating insecurity in Nigeria, particularly following massacres in Plateau and Benue States.
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, criticized Tinubu’s absence in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, urging him to “immediately suspend his ongoing retreat in a foreign land and come home to address the overwhelming security situation across the country.”
He highlighted the loss of over 150 Nigerian lives in the past two weeks due to insecurity, citing renewed attacks in Plateau and Zamfara States, and pipeline explosions in the Niger Delta.
“The primary duty of any government is securing the lives and property of its citizens, and one wonders the type of retreat going on in another country where peace has been secured by their leaders, while blood continues to flow in our country,” Obi said, likening the President to a retreating CEO of a failing company.
Similarly, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, also a 2023 presidential candidate, questioned Tinubu’s continued stay in Europe, criticizing his “59 days in France since assuming office.” Atiku’s spokesman, Paul Ibe, stated, “While Tinubu dines under chandeliers in the land of good governance, the country he governs is spiraling into chaos. Plateau has turned into a killing field — over 100 lives lost in relentless attacks. Benue is bleeding. Boko Haram is seizing territory. And every single day, Nigerians sink deeper into poverty, insecurity, and despair.”
Tinubu departed Nigeria for Paris, France, on April 2, for what the Presidency described as a short working visit to assess his administration’s mid-term performance and review ongoing reforms.
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