Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu, who has been on a four-week working vacation to Europe, is expected to return to Nigeria on Tuesday.The president, who was scheduled to return to the country this weekend, is now due back on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.Reliable Presidency sources told THISDAY yesterday that President Tinubu would return through the nation’s commercial capital, Lagos, where he is expected to be received at the presidential wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Ikeja by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
It was further gathered that the president would celebrate Nigeria’s 66th independence anniversary on Thursday, October 1, 2026 in Lagos.This would be the second time the president will be celebrating the nation’s independence in Lagos, the first being in 2025 when he stayed back in Lagos after his working visit to the Centre of Excellence in the wake of the news of an attempted coup det’at by military officers.THISDAY further learnt that Tinubu would stay back in Lagos to attend to official state duties before returning to the nation’s capital, Abuja by next weekend.
The Presidency had last Monday disclosed that the president, who has been on working leave since August 30, 2026, would return to Nigeria at the weekend, following the extension of his working vacation by a few days.Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, who made this known via a statement, added that the president departed Nigeria on August 30 for London to begin the working vacation.
After spending a week in London, he moved to Paris, France, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Mr Vincent Bollore, whose media group includes Canal+, Multichoice, and Universal Music Group.
While away, President Tinubu delegated Vice President Kashim Shettima to represent him at some official functions.