Paul Ibe, spokesperson to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has faulted the Presidency over what he says is an emerging habit of withholding details about President Bola Tinubu’s return dates whenever he travels abroad.
President Tinubu is scheduled to leave Abuja on Monday, January 26, 2026, for a state visit to Turkey, described by the Presidency as a diplomatic trip expected to last several days. In a statement released on Sunday, Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the visit is intended to deepen bilateral relations between Nigeria and Turkey, with focus areas including security, education, social development, innovation, and aviation.
According to the statement, the visit will also feature high-level political and diplomatic engagements centred on shared interests in finance, communications, trade, and investment. Meetings between senior officials of both countries are expected, alongside the signing of several memoranda of understanding covering sectors such as scientific research, energy, technical cooperation, media and communications, military collaboration, and protocol.
However, the statement did not specify when the President would return, noting only that he would be back after the conclusion of the visit.
Reacting on Monday via his X (formerly Twitter) account, Ibe questioned the lack of clarity around the President’s travel itinerary, suggesting that the absence of a return date has become a recurring issue. He queried why Nigerians are repeatedly left without precise information on when the President is expected back in the country.
He wrote; “President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to the Republic of Turkey, which begins with his departure from Abuja today, January 26, 2026, is scheduled to be a multi-day diplomatic engagement.”
“While the Presidency’s official statement issued on January 25, 2026, confirmed his departure date, it did not explicitly specify the exact total number of days for the trip, noting only that he would return “at the conclusion of the visit.”
“What is this new trend of not giving a date of the return of the President whenever he is travelling out? Is it to see if a few days in France to lounge and drink Pina colada with the French squad can be squeezed in?”
Ibe also took a swipe at the open-ended nature of such trips, making a sarcastic comment that the flexibility could leave room for unscheduled stopovers, joking about the possibility of squeezing in “a few days in France” for leisure.
His remarks have added to ongoing conversations around transparency and accountability in the communication of presidential activities, particularly concerning foreign travels.
