• To attend premiere of film in honour of MKO Abiola in Lagos on October 1, hold strategic meetings with political leaders, associates ahead of 2027 before returning to Abuja
•Abbas hopes president’s return will translate into more positive action by his govt
•Atiku: President’s return does not answer the unconstitutional acts of his absence
Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Sunday Ehigiator in Lagos
President Bola Tinubu returned to Nigeria yesterday after spending about four weeks outside the country on a working vacation.
Tinubu declared that he was of sound health and “ready to kick, ready to work and there’s nothing wrong”.
The president, who departed Nigeria on August 30 for a three-week vacation in Europe, had extended his stay by a few days, with his prolonged absence triggering a constitutional debate and concerns about his health.
Tinubu arrived in Lagos from Paris.
Shortly after his arrival, he was asked by journalists about his vacation and concerns raised by some Nigerians and his well-wishers over his health.
“I enjoyed myself. Fantastic!” he said, smiling, when asked how the vacation went.
He was subsequently asked how sound he was and whether he was ready for the next line of action, particularly against the backdrop of concerns about his health.
Tinubu responded, “Ready to kick, ready to work. There’s nothing wrong.”
The president dismissed the concerns about his health as political rumour, insisting that he is in good health and ready to resume his official responsibilities.
He said, “Rumor will always be emanating from politics, but the facts remain, I’m here. Healthy, sound, and ready to go.”
Commenting on the president’s arrival, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, who was among top government officials and political leaders, who received the president at the airport, said he expected Tinubu’s period of rest to translate into increased activity by the administration.
Abbas said, “It is incredibly nice to have him after one month away, and we believe that the days he has spent resting will translate into more action this time around.
“We believe that he will come with renewed vigour, a renewed hope, to continue serving the good people of Nigeria.”
Tinubu’s return followed a four-week stay in Europe, which began with his departure for London on August 30, before he proceeded to Paris, where he held engagements with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré, whose media and digital interests include Canal+, MultiChoice, and Universal Music Group.
On Monday, Tinubu met with Chairman of FirstHoldco Plc, Mr Femi Otedola, in Paris.
Last week, he witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Ogun State Government and DP World to build a Gateway deep seaport in Ogun Waterside and create a Blue Marine Economic Zone in the area.
DP World, one of the world’s leading ports and logistics operators, plans to invest $7 billion for the seaport and the economic zone.
The presidency had initially announced that Tinubu would spend three weeks on vacation.
On September 21, however, his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced that the president had extended his working vacation by a few days and would return to Nigeria at the weekend.
He eventually returned yesterday, September 29, bringing to an end his extended stay outside the country.
The prolonged absence generated debate over Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution, particularly regarding the procedure for presidential absence from the country.
The controversy was partly fuelled by the fact that the president’s initial three-week vacation had elapsed, while his return was subsequently postponed.
However, the constitutional provision does not expressly state that a President can only remain outside Nigeria for 21 days.
Section 145 provides that when the president proceeds on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge his functions, he is to transmit a written declaration to President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, after which the vice president performs the functions of President as Acting President.
The provision further states that where the president fails to transmit the declaration within 21 days, the National Assembly may, by resolution, empower the vice president to perform the functions of President as Acting President.
The issue became whether the constitutional procedure had been followed during Tinubu’s extended stay and whether Vice President Kashim Shettima should have assumed presidential functions under the provision.
The controversy intensified after Shettima travelled to New York on September 20 to represent Nigeria at the 81st United Nations General Assembly while Tinubu remained in Europe.
The presidency subsequently said Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, would continue to represent the president at some official engagements.
Opposition figures and some legal commentators questioned the constitutional implications of the president’s prolonged absence and sought clarification on whether the required declaration had been transmitted to the National Assembly.
On the other hand, constitutional lawyer, Dr Ehiogie West-Idahosa, stated that the constitution did not expressly prohibit a president from combining vacation with official duties, describing the arrangement as a “workation.”
West-Idahosa acknowledged the relevance of Section 145 and its 21-day provision concerning presidential absence and the possible assumption of functions by the vice president.
The presidency had also maintained throughout Tinubu’s absence that the president remained in touch with developments in Nigeria and continued to direct the affairs of government from abroad.
With his return yesterday, Tinubu is expected to resume his physical presence at official engagements, including activities surrounding Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary on October 1, where he is scheduled to premiere a film in commemoration of the independence celebrations.
Tinubu chose to fly to Lagos first to honour the memory of the martyr of Nigeria’s democratic struggle, Chief MKO Abiola
According to a statement by Onanuga, the president will on Independence Day attend the premiere of a movie honouring Abiola, the winner of the June 1993 election, at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.
While in Lagos, Tinubu will also hold strategic meetings with political leaders and associates over several days in preparation for the 2027 elections.
The president will return to Abuja after his political engagements in Lagos.
Atiku: Tinubu’s Return Does Not Answer the Unconstitutional Acts of His Absence
Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, said the return of Tinubu to the country after more than a month of his absence did not answer the constitutional questions raised by his absence.
In a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku said, “President Bola Tinubu’s return to Nigeria after approximately one month abroad does not answer the questions raised by his prolonged absence.
“On August 30, the presidency announced that he was proceeding to Europe for a three-week vacation as part of his annual leave.
“Section 145 of the constitution speaks plainly about a president ‘proceeding on vacation’ and provides for a written declaration to the Senate President and Speaker so that the Vice President may perform the functions of Acting President.
“If that declaration is not transmitted within 21 days, the constitution provides a role for the National Assembly.”
Atiku stated, “Calling the trip a ‘working vacation’ does not change the wording of the constitution. It is a deliberate attempt to distract from Tinubu’s breach of the constitution.
“These questions matter because Nigeria was confronting serious security and economic pressures while the president was away. Between September 5 and 11 alone, police figures reported 22 banditry incidents, five terrorism incidents, 27 kidnapping incidents, and 50 homicide incidents nationwide.”
The statement added, “Our country also continues to face a severe food-security challenge. FAO and WFP projections put roughly 34.8 million Nigerians at risk of crisis-level or worse acute food insecurity during the 2026 lean season.
“The residency has pointed to meetings and engagements abroad as evidence that the president continued working. Nigerians can reasonably ask what measurable outcomes resulted: which agreements were concluded? What investments were secured? What specific deliverables required the President’s prolonged presence abroad?”
Atiku further said, “Photographs and press statements document that meetings occurred; they do not, by themselves, demonstrate their outcomes.
“The presidency has also repeatedly said President Tinubu is ‘hale and hearty’. That assurance should be reported as the presidency’s position. Photographs, however, are not medical evidence.
“The larger question is one of accountability: what did the extended stay abroad achieve, what constitutional steps were taken during the vacation, and what are the measurable results of the engagements cited by the Presidency?”, he said.
Atiku insisted, “The constitutional question remains. The security challenges remain. The cost-of-living pressures remain. Nigerians deserve clear facts and demonstrable outcomes.”