The Presidency has announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will arrive in Nigeria tomorrow.
News About Nigeria reports that this puts to rest speculations over his whereabouts since attending the World Economic Forum’s Special Meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, six days ago.
The president’s absence had sparked concerns about his health, with some speculating that he may have travelled to Paris, France, for medical treatment, as he had done in the past.
However, Special Assistant to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, took to social media on Wednesday to confirm that President Tinubu, along with his aides, will return to Nigeria from Europe tomorrow.
This development comes after the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Tunji Alausa, assured Nigerians that the president’s absence was not related to his health.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Alausa stated, “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 went on to say that the government’s focus is on developing a healthcare system for all Nigerians, not just the President.
The president’s apparent return comes amid growing concerns over the leadership vacuum, which was almost 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. This publication reported that Shettima, however, opted out of representing Tinubu due to an aircraft failure.
Before he decided to stay back in the country, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described the situation as “unusual” and “worrisome” given the nation’s current challenges.
He took to social media to express his concerns.
He said, “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?”
