…President to Land in Lagos, Attend MKO Abiola Movie Premiere, Hold Strategic 2027 Meetings
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has departed Paris, France, for Nigeria, ending a working vacation that lasted about four weeks and drew intense public scrutiny.
CDA News Nigeria reports that the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the departure in a statement on Tuesday, saying Tinubu’s aircraft was expected to touch down at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, later that evening.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that the President chose to fly to Lagos first to honour the memory of Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election and a symbol of Nigeria’s democratic struggle. On Independence Day, October 1, he is expected to attend the premiere of a movie honouring Abiola at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.
Beyond the Abiola commemoration, the Presidency disclosed that Tinubu will hold strategic meetings with political leaders and associates over several days in Lagos, in preparation for the 2027 general elections, before returning to Abuja.
Tinubu departed Abuja on August 30 for what was initially described as a three-week working vacation in London. After about a week in the United Kingdom, he moved to Paris. During his stay in France, he held a private dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron, met with businessman Vincent Bolloré, and on Monday dined with billionaire Femi Otedola, who publicly praised the President’s economic reforms. He also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ogun State Government and DP World for a $7 billion Gateway deep seaport project.
His return was initially scheduled for the weekend of September 26-27 but was rescheduled at least twice before Tuesday’s departure.
CDA News Nigeria reports that Tinubu’s extended stay abroad and his decision to skip the 81st UN General Assembly in New York drew sharp criticism from opposition figures, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which demanded a clear explanation of his whereabouts and the constitutional arrangements in place during his absence. The Presidency had maintained that the President remained “hale and hearty” and continued to direct affairs of state from abroad.
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