President Bola Tinubu has concluded his four-week working vacation in Europe and departed Paris, France, for Nigeria, with his return expected to be in Lagos later on. His return comes amid growing controversy over the length of his stay abroad and the constitutional implications of his absence. The Presidency had initially announced that Tinubu would return after a three-week working vacation but extended his trip, prompting questions from opposition figures and lawyers.
The controversy surrounding Tinubu's absence centers on whether he transmitted a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as required by Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution. The African Democratic Congress and other opposition voices have questioned the President's adherence to this constitutional procedure. The African Action Congress has instituted a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging Tinubu's absence and the National Assembly's handling of the matter.
Section 145(1) of the Constitution provides that the President must transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives when proceeding on vacation or unable to discharge his functions. The provision further states that, until a contrary declaration is transmitted, the Vice-President performs the functions of the President as Acting President. The controversy intensified after Vice-President Kashim Shettima left Abuja on September 20 to lead Nigeria's delegation to the UN General Assembly, creating a period when both the President and Vice-President were outside the country.
During his trip, Tinubu held several official and business-related engagements, including meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré. The discussions with Bolloré focused on expanding investment in Nigeria's creative and digital economy. Tinubu also met billionaire businessman Femi Otedola in Paris, who subsequently praised the President's economic reforms. On September 24, Tinubu witnessed the signing of Memoranda of Understanding between the Ogun State Government and DP World for the development of the Gateway Deep Sea Port and the Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone.
The projects are expected to attract more than $7 billion in initial investment, with the proposed port at Ogun Waterside featuring a four-kilometre berth and an 18-metre draft. The promoters say the development will help decongest the Lagos port corridor and create more than 50,000 direct jobs when fully developed. Tinubu's first destination on returning to Nigeria will be Lagos, where he is expected to remain for several days before returning to Abuja. His Lagos programme will coincide with activities marking Nigeria's 66th Independence Anniversary on October 1.
The President is expected to attend the national premiere of MKO, a documentary on the life, political career, and pro-democracy struggle of late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre, Iganmu. The documentary examines the June 12, 1993 presidential election, its annulment by the military government, and the pro-democracy struggle that followed. Tinubu, a prominent figure in the pro-democracy struggle and a former governor of Lagos State, has repeatedly identified with the June 12 struggle.
The timing of Tinubu's engagements in Lagos is significant as political activity intensifies ahead of the 2027 general elections. The President's return will also bring to an end one of the more closely scrutinised presidential absences from Nigeria in recent years, with the constitutional questions surrounding the vacation now set for further examination through both public debate and the pending court proceedings.
Key points
- President Bola Tinubu returns to Nigeria after a four-week Europe trip amid controversy over his absence and constitutional procedures.
- The controversy centers on whether Tinubu transmitted a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as required by Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.
- Tinubu's return to Lagos will coincide with activities marking Nigeria's 66th Independence Anniversary on October 1.
