The Presidency has responded to concerns over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s prolonged absence, saying the president is hale and hearty.
Concerns have emerged over Tinubu’s absence after he travelled for a three-week vacation but did not return when expected last Monday.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, had earlier said Tinubu extended his vacation by “a few days”.
The president’s whereabouts have been the subject of calls for clarification, particularly from opposition figures and other Nigerians.
In a statement on Sunday, Onanuga said Tinubu could perform his presidential responsibilities without being physically present in Abuja.
“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.”
He added that the president had continued working during the vacation, including engagements with investors in France.
“And we have seen that he has indeed been working, meeting investors in France, most recently facilitating a $7 billion deep-sea port in Ogun Waterside, an initiative of the Ogun State Government.”
Addressing concerns about Tinubu’s absence from the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Onanuga pointed to the absence of other African leaders from the gathering.
“Two other important African leaders were not in New York for the UNGA: South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
“Ramaphosa booked himself off public engagements. Johannesburg and Pretoria made no uproar over Ramaphosa’s absence at UNGA. And Egypt did not erupt that Sisi did not go to New York.
“The Nigerian President announced he was taking his annual vacation and delegated attendance to his able and dependable Vice President. Yet Peter Obi pretends to be unaware of President Tinubu’s whereabouts and asks the puerile question his followers are asking on X.”
Onanuga concluded that Tinubu would return to Nigeria during the week to participate in activities marking the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
He also said the president would honour the late MKO Abiola by attending the Lagos premiere of a film produced in his memory.