By John Azu
Opposition figures Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have questioned President Bola Tinubu’s prolonged absence from Nigeria following successive changes to the date earlier announced for his return from Europe.
Tinubu travelled to Paris, France, on August 30, 2026, as part of what the Presidency described as a working vacation, after spending time in London, United Kingdom.
The Presidency initially announced September 21 as the president’s return date, but the date was later shifted to Sunday, September 27, and subsequently to Tuesday, September 29.
Reacting to the development, Atiku’s African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Sunday called on the Presidency to provide Nigerians with a comprehensive explanation for the president’s continued absence.
In a statement signed by the Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said the Presidency should clarify the status of Tinubu’s vacation and address concerns over the extension of his stay abroad.
“The Presidency must also clarify the status of the President’s vacation and explain the constitutional basis for the current arrangement, particularly where the President remains away from the country beyond the period earlier communicated to Nigerians,” the statement said.
The ADC said Nigerians deserved transparency regarding the president’s movements and the exercise of executive authority, particularly when the president remained outside the country beyond the initially announced period.
The party urged the Presidency to provide clear information to avoid what it described as growing public anxiety and speculation.
Similarly, Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), questioned Tinubu’s absence from the ongoing 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States.
The Peter Obi Media Room (POMR), in a statement signed by Idris Zekeri Jnr, shared Obi’s remarks on X, in which the former Anambra State governor referred to Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama’s address at the UN General Assembly.
Obi noted that Tinubu began a three-week working vacation in Europe on August 30 as part of his annual leave, but said the president’s return date had subsequently been shifted.
He also questioned Tinubu’s absence from the UN General Assembly and other international engagements, while acknowledging that Vice President Kashim Shettima was present at the global gathering.
“Many are asking: Where is the President of Africa’s most populous nation, a country of more than 200 million people—more than Ghana—whose leader has been absent from the global stage for three consecutive UNGAs?” Obi said.
He added: “Nigeria’s President, who ought to be representing and guiding the continent at the international level, has not attended any of these three global gatherings.
“Where is he, particularly at a time when the country faces significant challenges both domestically and internationally?”
Obi called on Nigerians to continue praying for Tinubu’s return and leadership, while concluding with his familiar expression that “a New Nigeria is possible.”
The Presidency has said Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria on Tuesday, September 29.