…Onanuga defends President’s absence from UNGA, cites $7bn Ogun port deal, says Tinubu to return for Independence anniversary

The Presidency has dismissed concerns over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s prolonged absence from Nigeria, saying the President is “hale and hearty” and has remained engaged with official responsibilities during his working vacation in Europe.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said on Sunday that Tinubu’s physical absence from Abuja did not prevent him from directing the affairs of government, particularly with modern communication technology.

Onanuga’s intervention followed renewed public debate over the President’s absence from the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, with opposition politician and presidential candidate Peter Obi questioning Tinubu’s whereabouts and decision to remain outside the country.

The presidential aide, in a post on his official X handle, said the President was entitled to his annual vacation and had continued to work while abroad.

“Nigeria’s President is hale and hearty. He has been on a working vacation, which he is perfectly entitled to,” Onanuga said.

He added: “In this digital age, he does not need to be physically present in Abuja to do the work for which he was elected in 2023.”

Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for London at the beginning of his working vacation and subsequently travelled to Paris, where he held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré.

The Presidency had earlier said that Tinubu remained in contact with developments at home and continued to issue directives while away.

One of the major economic engagements cited by the Presidency was Tinubu’s involvement in the signing in Paris of agreements between the Ogun State Government and global ports operator, DP World, for the development of the Gateway Deep Seaport and the Ogun State Blue Marine Special Economic Zone.

The projects are expected to attract an initial investment of more than $7 billion and generate over 50,000 direct jobs when fully developed.

The proposed deep seaport at Ogun Waterside is planned with a four-kilometre berth and an 18-metre draft, with the potential to provide an alternative gateway to the congested Lagos port corridor.

Onanuga therefore argued that the President’s presence in Europe had also provided an opportunity to advance investment and economic diplomacy, rather than constituting an interruption of governance.

The Presidency had formally announced that Tinubu would extend his working vacation and that Vice President Kashim Shettima would represent him at the 81st UN General Assembly.

Shettima subsequently travelled to New York on September 20 to lead Nigeria’s delegation and delivered the country’s national statement during the high-level segment of the General Debate. The UN General Debate ran from September 22 to 28.

Onanuga also pointed to the fact that other African presidents did not personally attend the high-level UNGA meetings, although their countries were represented.

In the case of Egypt, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly led the Egyptian delegation to New York at the direction of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and delivered Egypt’s statement at the General Debate.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, meanwhile, participated in UNGA-related proceedings through a pre-recorded message at a high-level event on inequality on September 23.

Against this background, Onanuga argued that Nigeria’s decision to send the Vice President was not without precedent and that Tinubu had made his vacation plans known while ensuring representation at the global gathering.

Onanuga also took issue with Obi’s questioning of the President’s whereabouts, describing the former Anambra State governor’s intervention as unnecessary.

Obi had previously criticised Tinubu’s decision to spend his vacation abroad and questioned the President’s absence from the UNGA.

The presidential aide said Obi’s latest question appeared to disregard the information already provided by the Presidency about Tinubu’s location and official engagements.

“Yet Peter Obi pretends to be unaware of President Tinubu’s whereabouts and asks the puerile question his followers are asking on X,” Onanuga wrote.

The exchange comes amid a wider political debate over the President’s extended absence from Nigeria, including questions raised by opposition figures about the constitutional procedure governing presidential vacations and delegation of authority.

The Presidency has maintained that Tinubu has remained in charge of government while away, while the Vice President has represented him at designated official engagements.

The Presidency said Tinubu would return to Nigeria this week to participate in activities marking the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

According to Onanuga, the President is also expected in Lagos for the premiere of MKO, a documentary chronicling the life and legacy of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, whose 1993 presidential election and the pro-democracy struggle that followed remain significant episodes in Nigeria’s democratic history.

The documentary is scheduled to premiere at the National Theatre, Lagos, on October 1, with Tinubu as host.

The President’s return would bring to an end a European working vacation that began on August 30 and was subsequently extended by several days.