President Bola Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria this week after spending several weeks abroad on what the Presidency described as a working vacation.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu was “hale and hearty” and had continued to discharge his responsibilities while outside the country.

In a post on X on Sunday, Onanuga said the President did not need to be physically present in Abuja to carry out his duties in the digital age.

“He has been on a working vacation, which he is perfectly entitled to,” Onanuga said.

He pointed to Tinubu’s meetings with investors in France, including discussions linked to a reported $7 billion deep-sea port project in Ogun Waterside.

Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for an initially announced three-week annual vacation. He travelled first to London before moving to Paris. The Presidency later announced that he had extended the trip by a few days.

Tinubu’s UNGA absence

Tinubu’s prolonged stay abroad has drawn criticism from opposition figures, particularly following his decision not to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria at the gathering, marking the third consecutive year that Tinubu delegated the Vice President to lead the country’s delegation.

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar questioned whether Tinubu had transmitted a written declaration to the National Assembly to allow Shettima to act as President during his absence.

Atiku cited Section 145 of the Constitution, which provides for such a declaration when a President proceeds on vacation.

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Party, also criticised Tinubu’s decision to spend his vacation in Europe and questioned why the President could not take his holiday within Nigeria.

The Presidency has maintained that Tinubu remained in contact with developments in Nigeria and continued to direct government affairs while abroad.

Onanuga also compared Tinubu’s absence from the UNGA with that of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who he said also did not attend this year’s gathering.

The presidential aide said Tinubu is expected back in Nigeria this week to participate in activities marking the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary and attend the Lagos premiere of a film commemorating the late MKO Abiola.