By Taibat Ummi Yakubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has returned to Nigeria after spending about four weeks in Europe, declaring that he is healthy, sound and ready to resume work.
The President made the remarks on Tuesday evening shortly after his aircraft landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, bringing an end to his extended stay abroad.
Asked by journalists how he found the vacation, Tinubu gave a brief but confident response: “I enjoyed myself.”
He was surrounded by senior political figures, including Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, and Lagos and Kwara State governors, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
The President also used the opportunity to address speculation that had circulated during his absence over his health.
“Rumours will always emanate from politics,” Tinubu said, dismissing concerns about his condition. “The fact remains that I’m here, healthy, sound and ready to go. Ready to kick, ready to walk. There’s nothing wrong.”
Tinubu’s return followed an unusually prolonged European trip that began on August 30, when he left Abuja for London for what the Presidency initially announced as a three-week working vacation.
After spending about a week in the United Kingdom, he travelled to Paris, France, where his schedule included engagements with political and business figures. He held a private dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and also met prominent business leaders during his stay.
The Presidency later announced that his vacation had been extended by a few days, a development that generated political debate and calls from opposition figures for greater clarity over the President’s whereabouts and schedule. The Presidency, however, maintained that Tinubu remained in touch with officials in Nigeria and continued to direct government affairs while abroad.
His eventual return also comes at a politically significant moment, with preparations already building ahead of the 2027 general elections. According to the Presidency, Tinubu will spend some time in Lagos, where he is expected to meet political leaders and associates before eventually returning to Abuja.
The decision to return through Lagos was also linked to plans to honour the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, a major figure in Nigeria’s democratic history.
Tinubu is expected to attend the October 1 premiere of a film celebrating Abiola at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre in Lagos as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary.
The President’s month-long absence had attracted considerable public attention, particularly after his original three-week schedule elapsed without his return. The Presidency subsequently sought to reassure Nigerians that he was “hale and hearty” and would return to the country.
With his arrival now confirmed, Tinubu is expected to resume a busy domestic schedule, beginning with engagements in Lagos before his eventual return to the nation’s capital.
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