- Travelling President…, Says Critic
- He Can Go Anywhere He Desires as he is on Vacation, Presidency Replies Critics
By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Presidency has said there’s nothing unconstitutional in the decision of President Bola Tinubu to travel from one country to another in Europe as he is still on vacation.
The statement came as a reply to reactions trailing the departure of Tinubu from the United Kingdom to France barely nine days after he left Nigeria.
The news of President Tinubu’s departure from the UK to France became public following a post by the President’s Special Assistant on Political and other matters, Ibrahim Kabir Masari, on his verified X handle @KabirIbrah64.
Masari had said that he had the honour of visiting Tinubu at his private residence in the UK, where they engaged in productive discussions before departing for Paris.
”Today, I had the honour of visiting President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR at his private residence in the United Kingdom, where we engaged in productive discussions. We then departed for Paris, France, for another important engagement,” Masari had written.
But immediately the news hit the public space, it has been attracting mixed and variegated opinions from Nigerians
Many on the social media channels have dubbed Tinubu a “peripatetic president” who takes delight in traveling from one peaceful nation to another while his own country is embroiled in crisis.
However, some people have supported the president as well claiming that running a country is an enormous task and he needs to unwind after months of presiding over the serious business of governance.
But reacting to the comments trailing the President’s departure to France on Saturday, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga said the president is not restricted to the United Kingdom for his two-week leave.
He added that Tinubu is free to go anywhere as long as he is still vacationing.
“President Tinubu is on leave for two weeks. He is not restricted to the UK. It is his private time. He can go to anywhere he so desires. He is still observing his leave,” he wrote.
Tinubu left Nigeria for the UK a day after the 64th Independence anniversary of Nigeria on October 1st.
Mr Onanuga, had in a statement on October 2, announced Tinubu’s departure for a two-week vacation.
Onanuga’s short statement had read:” President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja today for the United Kingdom to begin a two-week vacation, part of his yearly leave.
“He will use the two weeks as a working vacation and a retreat to reflect on his administration’s economic reforms.”
Meanwhile reactions have been trailing the departure of the president from the UK to France on the social media.
Kelwin Ebiri was so succinct and curt, he wrote, ” Predatory and peripatetic President”
“Tinuba needs professional media personnel to handle his public image! It is sad some of the responses Nigerias are getting from the so call his media aid/presidency. They should be talking to Nigerians with respect and decorum. Nigeria voted for him and has the right to know his whereabouts” wrote Idris Usman Shell.
But Edward Godwin in his case wrote ” Let’s face reality and stop disturbing ourselves. Who among us will be in the position and not go on vacation after working tirelessly for months. Do you think he just went for sightseeing? These are countries he must have visited even as ordinary citizen of Nigeria. Let’s chill abeg.”
