ABUJA—After spending nearly two weeks in Europe, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday, returned to Nigeria amid growing concerns over insecurity and economic challenges back home.
The President, who had been away in France and the United Kingdom for what the Presidency described as “official engagements and short rest,” touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 4:45pm, to a modest reception by top government officials.
The Presidency, in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, dismissed speculations surrounding Tinubu’s absence, insisting that the President remained fully in charge of the country’s affairs during his stay abroad.
Ngelale said: “President Tinubu’s trip abroad was necessary to finalize critical investment talks and attend to some personal rest. We urge Nigerians to disregard unfounded insinuations aimed at distracting the administration’s focus on governance.”
Recall that Tinubu’s absence coincided with a fresh wave of attacks and killings in parts of Benue, Plateau, and Kaduna states, sparking outrage among civil society groups and opposition figures, who accused the administration of “neglecting urgent domestic matters.”
Meanwhile, in some quarters within the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Tinubu’s return is being hailed as a reinforcement of the government’s commitment to tackling the nation’s myriad of challenges, especially in security, agriculture, and the economy.
As at the time of filing this report, details of the President’s next official engagements were still sketchy, but sources within the Villa hinted that high-level security meetings are expected to dominate Tinubu’s immediate schedule.
