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We have since welcomed our President, Bola Tinubu, back to Nigeria after his ‘working vacation’ in Europe! He left Nigeria on August 30 for London and from there to France where he stayed until Tuesday, September 29, 2026, when he returned to Nigeria. We thank God for journey mercies upon him.
We also thank God for granting him good health in mind and body. A happy Tinubu enthused on his return that he enjoyed himself and that he was healthy, sound and ready to go. This is good news. It deserves some form of celebration and thanksgiving!
Now that the President is back in sound health and renewed vigour to work for the country, it is time to interrogate his frequent trips to France. One major issue of concern for me and many other Nigerians is why the President of a sovereign country will always jet out to a particular nation either for working or private visits. On the face of it, there is nothing wrong with a president visiting another country for whatever reason. It cements the bond between one country and another. After all, no nation can be an island, or survive alone in the world of today.
For instance, though South African presidents spend their vacation mostly within South Africa, the incumbent President, Cyril Ramaphosa, had a brief breakaway to Mauritius over the Christmas period last year to unwind and relax. Interestingly, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said the President paid for his commercial flights to Mauritius from his own pocket. This short visit raised dust in the Rainbow nation because it was kept secret and no acting president was appointed in Ramaphosa’s place while he was out of the country.
Even, some South African citizens questioned the catering expenses in the presidential aircraft in 2022. They called it Inkwazi scandal. It revolves around allegations that passengers aboard the President’s plane enjoyed lavish meals and drinks at the cost of R24,000 per head on their return from the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of England. But the country’s Public Protector reportedly probed the matter and cleared the Presidency and the Department of Defence of any wrongdoing.
In Nigeria, the President travels as he likes with aides and acolytes. Each of these travels gulps millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money. Nobody questions the wastage because the Nigerian President is an emperor with almost unlimited powers. The National Assembly empowered to check him is compromised.
People merely raise eyebrows and it ends there. This is how Tinubu’s frequent trips to France have been handled. Nigerians talk and raise questions, but the answers are limited. Even before he became President, Tinubu did not pretend that he is in love with France. In March 2023, he was in that country as president-elect.
Since he was sworn in as President in May 2023, he has made several trips to France. In 2023, he visited in June and October. In 2024, he visited in January, April, October, and November. In 2025, he visited in February, April, and September. In 2026, he has been to France in May and last September.
The President had embarked on some of these travels even when his country was boiling. When terrorists were wreaking havoc in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State in January 2024, he departed for France on a private visit. He was also in France in April 2025 when violence and killings were ongoing in Benue and Plateau States.
Without mincing words, many Nigerians are concerned about the real motive behind President Tinubu’s trips to France. Some of his acolytes and party members believe the trips have yielded investments and other goodies. The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, said the visits had helped reposition Nigeria on the world stage and was yielding tangible benefits that would support long-term prosperity.
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Many other Nigerians think otherwise. Speculations are rife that the visits could be for medical reasons. Otherwise, why will the president of a country be outside his nation for upwards of one month? What manner of vacation is that? Why was the return date postponed two times? And why always France?
The President is human and can fall sick. The onus is on his handlers or spokespersons to inform the people about it and the efforts being made to treat him. When the former President of the United States, Joe Biden, was under anesthesia for a routine colonoscopy in November 2021, his nation was duly informed. In adherence to Section 3 of the 25th Amendments to the US Constitution, he temporarily transferred power to Vice-President Kamala Harris, who was in charge for just 85 minutes. The White House even assured the nation that the written summary of the President’s physical would later be shared publicly.
Hiding the President’s health status is not healthy in a democracy. As a president, he belongs to everybody. The entire country, as his constituency, deserves to know what happens to him.
Perhaps, the same penchant for secrecy propels the frequent violation of the country’s constitution by the President. The 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) mandates the President to transmit power to the Vice-President whenever he goes on vacation or unable to perform his duties.
Section 145(1) specifically states that “Whenever the President is proceeding on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his Office, he shall transmit a written declaration to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to that effect, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, the Vice-President shall perform the functions of the President as Acting President.”
Should the President fail to transmit power after 21 days of vacation or absence from duty, Section 145(2) compels the National Assembly to “mandate the Vice-President to perform the functions of the office of the President as Acting President until the President transmits a letter to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives that he is now available to resume his functions as President.”
Tinubu did not transmit power to the Vice-President as the constitution demands. The current pliant National Assembly did not do its job of mandating the Vice-President to act in the absence of the President after 21 days. Nigerians were told that the President could rule from anywhere. We heard the same argument when the late Umaru Yar’Adua and Muhammadu Buhari were in the saddle as presidents. While they were on medical tourism in Saudi Arabia and London respectively, we were told they could rule from anywhere. The National Assembly during Yar’Adua’s time was forced to invoke the Doctrine of Necessity in February 2010 and transmitted power to the then Vice-President, Goodluck Jonathan, as acting President.
It is even intriguing that the incumbent President, the Vice-President, and the Senate President were out of the country sometime last month. Nigerians were not sure who was in charge of the country then.
Nevertheless, we thank God that Tinubu is hale and hearty. Now that we are in campaign season, he should endeavour to talk to Nigerians. He should move round the country and see his people, especially those living under the jackboot of terrorists. He should console them and make them feel that they are still part of Nigeria. He should engage in robust debates and not delegate his praise singers and spokespersons to do what he should do as our elected President seeking our second mandate.
Nigerians want to see him live on national television reassuring them that the renewed hope agenda is still on course; that the prices of essential commodities, especially food items will come down; that there will no longer be killing and abduction of innocent citizens in any part of the country; and that award of road contracts without open bidding and other corrupt tendencies will stop.
Nigerians also want to witness a turnaround in the education sector; world-class health facilities in different parts of the country, which will significantly reduce the rush to fly abroad for medical treatment even for a slight headache. Once our President does all these, I bet you, many frustrated Nigerians will join to chorus “on your mandate we shall stand!” Unfortunately, the signs currently are ominous and the future looks bleak.
This is why a change is inevitable. We need a President who is sympathetic to the plight of Nigerians. We need a leader who is not corrupt, in order to stamp out corruption in the country. We need someone who is transparent and who has the competence, strength and character to lead Nigeria to our desired destination. Despite all odds, let’s remain hopeful that Nigeria will be OK.
