By Eshioromeh Sebastian
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed Abuja on Sunday for a three-week working vacation in Europe, the Presidency has announced.
According to a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s first destination is London, United Kingdom. The President is expected to return home after the working vacation to join the campaign for the January 2027 presidential election.
“The President will depart Abuja today for Europe to begin a three-week vacation as part of his annual leave,” Onanuga said in the statement. “His first stop will be London, United Kingdom.”
Onanuga added that “President Tinubu is expected to return home after the working vacation to join the hectic campaign for the January 2027 election.”
The vacation comes amid ongoing economic reforms that have affected the cost of living for ordinary Nigerians. It also follows criticism from opposition figures over the President’s foreign trips. In January, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other opposition leaders criticised Tinubu’s frequent foreign travels, noting that the President had spent significant time abroad while Nigerians faced economic hardship.
However, the Presidency has consistently defended Tinubu’s foreign trips as working visits. Officials have maintained that the President remains actively engaged in governance through constant communication with his team.
The trip also follows significant policy actions by the President. On August 28, Tinubu approved a comprehensive forensic audit of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and all federal government agencies. According to the Presidency, the audit was ordered due to widespread control failures including ghost workers and fake agencies. The audit will be overseen by the Minister of Finance.
Earlier this week, Tinubu also directed a comprehensive overhaul of Nigerian football reforms, citing structural weaknesses within the system.
President Tinubu is scheduled to return after the three-week vacation to lead the All Progressives Congress campaign.
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