The Presidency has finally broken its silence over the prolonged absence of President Bola Tinubu from the country.
News About Nigeria reports that the presidency on Tuesday dismissed speculation that his absence is due to medical reasons.
Tinubu has been away from Nigeria for several days since attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Saudi Arabia, fueling concerns about his whereabouts and who is in charge of the government.
However, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa, has stated that the President’s absence is not related to his health.
“Let me tell you, we are developing a healthcare system for Nigerians, not for the President. We have 220 million Nigerians, and that’s what Mr. President wants,” Alausa said during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday.
“We have a president who is well, who is healthy, and who is leading the country in the right direction. The President is getting some of his care in Nigeria,” he added.
The minister’s statement comes amid growing concerns over the leadership vacuum created by the simultaneous absence of Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, who had planned to travel to the United States for the US-Africa Business Summit.
However, Shettima opted out of representing Tinubu due to an aircraft failure.
The unavailability of Tinubu in the country sparked questions about who is in charge of the government, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar describing the situation as “unusual” and “worrisome” given the nation’s current challenges.
Atiku wrote on social media: “I have been inundated by reports of the absence of the president and vice president from the country. It is unprecedented that the two leaders will be absent from the country at the same time, especially now that the nation is faced with daunting challenges. The question that readily comes to mind is who is in charge of government at this point, or is it right to assume that we are on autopilot?”
