By Editor
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed Abuja on Sunday for what the Presidency described as a three-week working vacation in Europe, with London named as the first stop.
Special Adviser Bayo Onanuga said the President will return in time for the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, opening September 8, 2026, and to resume activities ahead of the January 2027 elections.
The trip comes amid intensifying criticism from the opposition. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate for 2027, has in recent weeks faulted the administration over food prices, unemployment, insecurity, and the removal of fuel subsidy.
In statements on August 12, 19 and 25, Atiku’s camp accused the government of lacking a plan for ordinary Nigerians and said the President had gone silent while citizens faced hardship.
Claims circulating online alleged that plans for Tinubu to attend UNGA and meet US President Donald J. Trump were cancelled after $9 million was paid to a US lobby firm, and that the President was “hiding in Europe” from pressure.
The Presidency has not confirmed those claims. Onanuga’s statement made no mention of a cancelled US meeting or lobby contract, and instead framed the Europe trip as a scheduled break before campaign activities resume.
The administration has also faced questions over a pledge of 50 CNG buses to states, announced after an emergency meeting with APC governors. Critics said the buses had not materialized weeks later, pointing to continued high transport costs in Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt and Owerri. An APC chieftain in Abuja acknowledged the timing “looks bad” but said the President needed rest amid political pressure.
With campaigns gathering pace, both the APC and ADC are expected to sharpen messaging in the coming weeks. The Presidency said Tinubu will return from Europe to “join the hectic campaign for January 2027.”
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