President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is “hale and hearty” and remains engaged in official duties while on his annual working vacation, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has said.
Onanuga made the clarification on Sunday amid questions surrounding the President’s prolonged absence from Nigeria and his decision not to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
According to the presidential aide, Tinubu is entitled to his annual vacation and can continue to perform his responsibilities without being physically present in Abuja.
“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,” Onanuga said in a post on X.
The Presidency had earlier announced that Tinubu travelled out of Nigeria on August 30 for a working vacation. He subsequently moved from London to Paris, where he held meetings with senior officials and investors.
Onanuga pointed to the President’s recent activities in France, including his involvement in discussions surrounding the proposed Gateway Deep Seaport and Blue Marine Special Economic Zone in Ogun State.
The Ogun State Government and DP World signed memoranda of understanding in Paris on September 24 for the development of the projects, with the investment package reported by the Presidency as exceeding $7 billion.
Tinubu was also represented at the United Nations General Assembly by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Onanuga noted that other African leaders, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, were also absent from the UN gathering.
The presidential aide also responded to former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, who had questioned Tinubu’s whereabouts.
Onanuga described Obi’s question as “puerile” and maintained that the President had publicly announced his vacation.
The Presidency had earlier said Tinubu extended his stay abroad by a few days while continuing to receive updates and direct government affairs from outside the country.
Onanuga said Tinubu is expected back in Nigeria this week for activities marking the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
He is also expected to attend the Lagos premiere of a film about the late MKO Abiola, whom Onanuga described as an important figure in Nigeria’s democratic history.
