President Tinubu Disappears During Transit, Raising Concerns

Once again, President Bola Tinubu’s overseas travels and whereabouts have stirred speculation. On August 29, the President departed for China, with officials stating he would make a brief stopover in Dubai. However, he unexpectedly surfaced in London on Wednesday.

President Tinubu had arrived in Beijing on September 1, where he spent the week attending the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and holding meetings with key Chinese political and business leaders. His official engagements in China concluded on September 5 with a meeting with Nigerians residing there. He departed China the same day.

However, between his exit from China and his appearance in London on September 6, the Nigerian public was left in the dark about his exact location. While a State House statement on September 6 noted that the President had directed relief efforts for victims of the Maiduguri floods, it failed to clarify from where these instructions were issued.

The lack of transparency around the President’s movements is troubling. As a public figure, the office of the President should be accountable to the people, and citizens have the right to know where their leader is. This latest incident is part of a troubling pattern in which the President’s location is undisclosed for days, raising questions about his transparency and commitment to governance.

This is not an isolated occurrence. On April 23, Tinubu visited The Netherlands to meet with then-Prime Minister Mark Rutte, before heading to Riyadh for a World Economic Forum event. Six days later, after the event concluded, his prolonged absence led to public outcry. The Presidency remained silent until May 8, when it announced his return.

Similarly, on January 24, Tinubu embarked on a “private visit” to France, details of which were kept under wraps, prompting speculation about his health until his return two weeks later. More recently, on August 19, he flew to Paris for a “brief work stay,” which also lacked clarity, returning after three days.

During these absences, domestic issues have escalated. The fuel crisis, now in its second month, continues to worsen, while states like Borno and Bauchi battle devastating floods. Terrorism and banditry remain rampant. These crises demand the President’s direct involvement, yet his frequent absences give the impression of detachment at a time when decisive leadership is needed.

President Tinubu must recognize the gravity of his responsibilities. While he spoke in China about the benefits of removing the petrol subsidy to address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit, citizens back home have been grappling with fuel shortages and long queues. Such disconnects between rhetoric abroad and realities at home are disheartening.

In democratic nations like France, the UK, or China, leaders consistently account for their movements. The lack of such accountability from President Tinubu echoes the troubling precedent set by his predecessors. The late President Umaru Yar’Adua was absent for months in foreign hospitals, with his aides misleading the nation about his condition until his death in 2010. Similarly, former President Muhammadu Buhari spent a total of 225 days abroad on medical trips without full disclosure to the public.

In a presidential system, the Commander-in-Chief’s whereabouts should never be shrouded in mystery. The U.S. President, for instance, travels with the nuclear codes, and his location is always known to the public.

Democracy thrives on accountability, and President Tinubu must understand this. His pattern of unannounced foreign visits and lack of transparency diminishes the stature of his office and undermines public trust. The Nigerian people deserve a President who is both present and responsive to the pressing issues facing the nation.