President Bola Tinubu will return to Nigeria on Tuesday after a four-week working vacation in Europe, the Presidency said, as a human rights lawyer announced a lawsuit over his prolonged absence.
Presidency confirms new date
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said Tinubu will land in Lagos and stay there to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary on Thursday, October 1, before returning to Abuja at the weekend.
“It’s just a slight adjustment to his schedule,” Onanuga said, confirming the revised itinerary on Sunday evening.
Tinubu left Abuja for London on August 30 and later travelled to Paris, where the Presidency said he met French President Emmanuel Macron. His return date has shifted more than once. The Presidency has maintained that he remained in charge and directed government affairs from abroad throughout.
Lawyer heads to court
Festus Ogun, principal of Festus Ogun Legal, said he would file a suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos challenging what he called a “constitutional breach” over the delayed return.
“Except we all agree the law no longer rules in Nigeria,” he wrote on X.
Opposition figures have also demanded explanations from the Presidency. Some House members are reportedly seeking a recall of parliament to settle who is in charge, while Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said there is “no vacancy” in the presidency.
Independence Day plans
Tinubu is due to deliver a nationwide broadcast on October 1. A public lecture is scheduled for Wednesday. It will be his second straight Independence Day in Lagos, after the 2025 parade was cancelled over security concerns.
