By Amofokhai Williams
President Bola Tinubu arrived in Lagos on Tuesday evening after a four-week working vacation in Europe, telling journalists he was “healthy, sound, and ready to go.”
Nigerian Air Force One landed at the presidential wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport at about 6:22 p.m. from Paris. Journalists at the airport were not allowed to take pictures or video of the arrival.
Asked how the trip had gone, Tinubu said: “I enjoyed myself. Fantastic.”
Pressed on rumours about his health that circulated toward the end of the stay, he replied: “Ready to kick, ready to walk. There’s nothing wrong.”
He added: “Rumour will always be emanating from politics, but the facts remain, I’m here. Healthy, sound, and ready to go.”
Tinubu left Abuja on August 30. The Presidency first described the trip as a three-week annual vacation, with London as the first stop. After about a week in the United Kingdom he moved to Paris, where the stay included official engagements as well as rest.
In France he attended a private dinner with President Emmanuel Macron and met business figures including Vincent Bolloré of the Bolloré Group and First HoldCo chairman Femi Otedola. He also witnessed the signing of memoranda of understanding between the Ogun State Government and DP World for a Gateway Deep Sea Port at Ogun Waterside and a Blue Marine Economic Zone.
The project is projected to draw more than $7 billion in investment and, at full development, more than 50,000 direct jobs.
The Presidency later said the working vacation had been extended by a few days. Tinubu returned on Tuesday, September 29, rather than the weekend first announced.
Absence from UNGA and the constitutional debate
The prolonged stay abroad sparked political argument, especially after he skipped the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, his third consecutive UNGA missed in person.
Vice President Kashim Shettima led the Nigerian delegation, delivered the national statement and took part in high-level meetings. The Federal Government said the decision formed part of the president’s annual leave and that Shettima carried Tinubu’s full mandate.
Opposition figures criticised the arrangement. African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar questioned the constitutional implications of the absence after the initial 21-day period, citing Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution on the transfer of presidential functions when the president is on vacation or otherwise unable to discharge his duties.
Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga described the trip as a working vacation and said Tinubu remained in touch with events at home and continued to direct government business. Onanuga said the president was “hale and hearty” and argued that, in the digital age, he did not need to be physically in Abuja to carry out his responsibilities.
What comes next
Tinubu is expected to take part in Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary events, including the premiere of a film honouring the late MKO Abiola at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre in Lagos on October 1. The Presidency said he chose to return through Lagos in part to honour Abiola’s memory. He is also expected to hold strategic meetings in Lagos before travelling back to Abuja.
