Presidency calls it annual leave and “working vacation”; questions emerge over timing, travel costs and governance
UNITY TIMES POLITICAL DESK
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ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has left Nigeria for Europe for a three-week annual leave, with London as his first destination, according to the Presidency.
The trip began on Sunday, August 30, and comes at a politically significant moment, barely as Nigeria’s 2027 election campaign gathers momentum.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said Tinubu would return to Nigeria after the working vacation and participate in preparations for the January 2027 elections.
The Presidency has not publicly released a detailed itinerary for the entire three-week period.
Why the timing is attracting attention
The President’s departure coincides with the formal opening of political campaigning. INEC opened the campaign period on August 19, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027. Tinubu, who is seeking re-election on the APC platform, is therefore entering a crucial political period.
At the same time, the country continues to face major challenges involving insecurity, cost of living, unemployment and infrastructure.
The cost question
The trip has also reopened debate about presidential travel expenditure. An analysis of government expenditure records by GovSpend cited by Nigerian media estimated that the Presidency spent approximately ₦37.64 billion on travel-related expenses between June 2023 and April 2026.
That figure has generated criticism from opposition voices, who argue that the President’s overseas travel should be assessed against the country’s economic realities.
The Presidency, however, describes the current trip as an annual leave/working vacation rather than an official foreign tour.
A constitutional question
The President’s absence also brings attention to the constitutional arrangements for presidential absence.
Vice President Kashim Shettima is currently undertaking official duties, including representing Nigeria at an African Union summit in Angola. Reports have therefore raised questions about the simultaneous overseas presence of Nigeria’s two highest elected officials.
Under Nigeria’s constitutional system, the issue of presidential absence and the transmission of authority is governed by Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.
The important issue is therefore not simply where the President is spending his holiday. It is whether the machinery of government remains fully responsive while he is away.
Presidents are entitled to annual leave. The legitimate public-interest question is different: How much does presidential travel cost the Nigerian taxpayer, what is the official purpose of each trip, and what measurable benefit does the country derive from official journeys?
In an era of rising public scrutiny, transparency over travel expenditure may become just as important as the travel itself. And with the 2027 campaign already underway, the President’s European break will inevitably be viewed through both lenses: governance and politics.
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