Tinubu Working Vacation Ends as President Leaves Paris for Lagos Ahead of Independence Day and 2027 Election Talks
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ended his working vacation and left Paris, France, for Nigeria, the Presidency has announced. His aircraft is expected to land at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos on Tuesday evening, September 29.
The announcement came in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy. It said Tinubu had “already departed Paris” on the homeward journey. He left Abuja on August 30 and spent one week in London before travelling on to the French capital.
The Presidency said Tinubu chose to fly to Lagos first in order to honour the memory of Chief MKO Abiola. Abiola is widely regarded as the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election and is remembered as a martyr of Nigeria’s democratic struggle. On Independence Day, October 1, the President is expected to attend the premiere of a movie honouring Abiola at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos. The celebration marks Nigeria’s 66th year of independence.
Beyond the tribute, the trip has a clear political purpose. According to the statement, Tinubu will hold strategic meetings with political leaders and associates in Lagos over several days in preparation for the 2027 elections. After those engagements, he is expected to return to Abuja.
The Presidency also said the President remained active while abroad. On Monday he met Femi Otedola, chairman of First HoldCo Plc, who later said the administration’s economic reforms had put the country on a path of sustainable growth. Tinubu also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ogun State Government and DP World. Under the agreement, DP World plans to invest $7 billion in a Gateway deep seaport at Ogun Waterside and a Blue Marine Economic Zone. Reports also say he met business leaders in France, including Vincent Bolloré of the Bolloré Group.
The extended stay abroad drew public attention. Some critics questioned the President’s absence, and the African Action Congress went to the Federal High Court in Abuja. The party argues that Tinubu should have transmitted power to Vice President Kashim Shettima while he was out of the country for a prolonged period. The Presidency has previously said the President stayed engaged and worked remotely from Paris.
His return comes at a busy time on the political calendar. With the 2027 general elections approaching, parties and politicians are increasingly focused on alliances, candidates and campaign strategy. Tinubu’s series of meetings in Lagos, his political base, will be closely watched by supporters and opponents alike.
The Abiola tribute adds symbolic weight to the homecoming. Honouring the June 12 legacy on Independence Day connects the return to a defining moment in Nigeria’s democratic history, and it comes as the President prepares for the electoral season ahead.
More details on the President’s schedule in Lagos are expected in the coming days.
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