President Bola Tinubu arrived back in the country as the plane he was on landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Saturday evening, marking the end of his annual leave in the UK.
“The eagle has landed,” presidential aide Dada Olusegun wrote on his X account. “Welcome home, Mr President.”
President Tinubu received a warm welcome from a delegation of government officials, including the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdullahi Ganduje, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, and the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, among other notable figures.
Gbajabiamila expressed that with the return of his principal, President Tinubu, the government will concentrate on refining its policies.
“The kind of work he’s been doing in the last year and a half requires some rest and he’s gone on his back now and he’s well arrested, rejuvenated,” the former lawmaker said.
“Again, it was even just a working holiday anyway. So, he was working and resting at the same time. Now that he’s back in Nigeria, all hands are back on deck and he’s ready to go.”
He said, “Nigerians will begin to see the fruits of his labor and our labor. And so, I mean, just let’s be we all expect expectant and hopeful and we live in Renewed Hope and Mr President is back in Nigeria to continue the good work he’s doing.”
Tinubu’s two-week working leave, which is a component of his annual leave, commenced on October 2 when he departed for the United Kingdom.
The presidency characterized this leave as a period for reflection on his administration since assuming leadership in May 2023.
On October 16, President Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Political Matters, Kabir Masari, announced that President Tinubu had departed the UK for France. Around the same time, Vice President Kashim Shettima left Nigeria for Sweden to engage in bilateral discussions with the European nation over a two-day visit.
These departures sparked concerns among Nigerians, particularly from key political figures like Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections. Obi criticized Tinubu and Shettima for their absence during this critical period.
“While it is arguable that with the President and Vice President absence from the Villa, there is no vacancy in the presidency, in a situation where both the President and Vice President are out of the country, as reported in the media yesterday, it’s concerning for a country with such myriads of domestic problems,” Obi wrote on his X handle.
Despite the dissatisfaction regarding their absence, the presidency reassured the public that there was no void in leadership.”It is important to note that the President and Vice President are fully engaged with the nation’s affairs, even while they are away,” presidential aide Bayo Onanuga said in his defence of the duo’s absence. “There is no leadership vacuum in the country.”
