President Tinubu extends vacation after three-week leave

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has extended his working vacation in Europe by a few days, with the Presidency saying he will return to Nigeria at the weekend.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, September 21, 2026.

The Presidency did not specify the exact number of additional days added to the vacation. Tinubu had departed Nigeria on August 30 for a three-week working vacation, with Sunday, September 20 marking three weeks from his departure.

What they are saying

• According to the Presidency, “President Tinubu will return to Nigeria at the weekend, following the extension of his working vacation by a few days.”

Tinubu departed Nigeria on August 30 and initially travelled to London, where he spent about a week before moving to Paris, France.

In Paris, the President met with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bollore, whose media interests include Canal+, MultiChoice and Universal Music Group.

• Despite being away from Nigeria, the statement said that President Tinubu had remained in contact with developments at home and continued to direct government affairs.
• One of the decisions attributed to him during the vacation was the order for an independent panel to investigate the deaths of 37 illegal miners in Minna following their detention by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

While Tinubu has been away, Vice President Kashim Shettima has represented him at some official functions.

Shettima departed Abuja on September 20 for New York to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where he is representing Nigeria and is expected to deliver the country’s national statement.

The Presidency said Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, who has also represented Tinubu at official events, will continue to do so while the President remains abroad.

Get up to speed

Nairametrics reported that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed Abuja on August 30 for Europe to begin a three-week annual leave, with London as his first destination.

The development was announced by Onanuga in a statement issued on August 30, with the Presidency saying Tinubu would return after the vacation to resume official engagements and participate in activities ahead of the 2027 election.

This was Tinubu’s first major annual leave of 2026. His previous annual vacation was in September 2025, when he travelled to Europe for a 10-working-day working vacation before returning to Nigeria ahead of schedule.

What you should know

Tinubu’s extension of his working vacation comes as Vice President Shettima represents him at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

• Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has questioned Tinubu’s absence from the UNGA, describing it as his third consecutive absence from the gathering. Atiku said Tinubu was also absent from the 79th UNGA in 2024 and the 80th in 2025, when Shettima represented him.

Atiku has also questioned whether issues relating to Tinubu’s history with United States authorities have affected Nigeria’s foreign relations. The Presidency has dismissed the insinuations surrounding Tinubu’s absence from the UNGA as baseless and irresponsible.

The development also comes as preparations for the 2027 general elections continue. The Independent National Electoral Commission’s current timetable schedules the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.