President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has extended his stay in France.
The development came amidst criticisms by the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and other opposition leaders, who have questioned his absence from the country at a time when it was witnessing crises in different parts.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar demanded the return of the president and criticised his continued stay outside the country, saying the situation in Plateau, Benue and other parts of Nigeria, demanded his attention.
Also the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, lamented that since the president’s departure, many Nigerians have been killed, a development that should warrant his immediate return.
On April 2nd, President Tinubu departed Abuja for Paris, France, on a working visit, as stated by the Presidency.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, had said during the visit, the president would appraise his administration’s midterm performance and assess key milestones.
“He will also use the retreat to review the progress of ongoing reforms and engage in strategic planning ahead of his administration’s second anniversary.
“This period of reflection will inform plans to deepen ongoing reforms and accelerate national development priorities in the coming year”, he had said.
He went further to explain that, “Recent economic strides reinforce the president’s commitment to these efforts, as evidenced by the Central Bank of Nigeria reporting a significant increase in net foreign exchange reserves to $23.11 billion—a testament to the administration’s fiscal reforms since 2023 when net reserves were $3.99 billion.
“While away, President Tinubu will remain fully engaged with his team and continue to oversee governance activities, adding that the president “will return to Nigeria in about a fortnight.”
But yesterday, April 17, following criticism over the president’s absence, the Presidency, issued another statement, saying the President would return to the country to resume his official duties after the Easter holidays.
Bayo Onanuga further explained that while outside the country, President Tinubu is closely monitoring developments in the country.
“The president left Paris for London at the weekend and has maintained constant communication with key government officials, overseeing critical national matters, including directives to security chiefs to address emerging threats in some parts of the country,” he said.
