Tinubu Returns to Lagos After Four-Week European Vacation, Says He Is “Healthy and Ready” to Work
President Bola Tinubu has returned to Nigeria after four weeks in Europe on what the Presidency called a working vacation. His aircraft landed at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at about 6:22pm on Tuesday, September 29, closing a trip that had prompted weeks of public debate.
Tinubu left Abuja on August 30 for London, where he spent about one week before moving on to Paris. The vacation was first announced as a three-week break, but the Presidency later extended it by a few days, and it ended up lasting about four weeks. He flew back to Nigeria from Paris aboard the Nigerian Air Force One.
On arrival he was received by Lagos State’s All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, and his running mate, Damilola James. Reports say journalists at the airport were barred from recording footage of his arrival, with media coverage restricted as the aircraft taxied to the terminal.
Speaking after landing, the President addressed concerns about his health that had circulated during his absence. He said he was healthy, sound and ready to go, and reportedly promised to move quickly into action now that he is back. The Presidency had earlier said he stayed in touch with officials at home and continued to direct government affairs throughout the trip.
While abroad, Tinubu held a private dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and met business leaders, including Vincent Bolloré of the Bolloré Group. Last week he also witnessed the signing of an agreement between the Ogun State Government and DP World to build a deep seaport at Ogun Waterside and a Blue Marine Economic Zone.
His long absence drew criticism. Opposition figures questioned the length of the stay and the constitutional implications of a president being away for so long. His decision not to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York in person added to the tension, with Vice President Kashim Shettima delivering Nigeria’s national statement instead. Senate President Godswill Akpabio rejected calls for Tinubu to hand over power to Shettima while he was away. A separate case filed by the African Action Congress at the Federal High Court in Abuja argues that a transmission of power was required.
The Presidency said Tinubu chose to land in Lagos first to honour the memory of MKO Abiola, widely regarded as the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. He is expected to attend a film premiere celebrating Abiola at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre in Iganmu and to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary on October 1.
Politics will also occupy his time in Lagos. According to presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu will hold strategic meetings with political leaders and associates over several days in preparation for the 2027 elections, before returning to Abuja.
Critics say lengthy foreign trips risk weakening public trust at a time of economic pressure, while supporters argue the President remained at work and that his engagements abroad benefited the country. Attention now turns to how quickly he resumes official duties in Abuja.
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