The Presidency has accused the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, of pretending not to know the whereabouts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the accusation while reacting to concerns over Tinubu’s absence from the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Onanuga noted that two other African leaders, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, were also absent from the UNGA, arguing that their absence did not generate similar reactions in their respective countries.
In a post on X, Onanuga said Ramaphosa had taken himself off public engagements, while there was no significant public reaction in Johannesburg or Pretoria to his absence from the UNGA.
He added that Egypt also did not witness widespread concern over el-Sisi’s absence from the gathering.
“Two other significant African leaders were not in New York for the UNGA: South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
“Ramaphosa booked himself off public engagements. Johannesburg and Pretoria didn’t show any strong reaction to Ramaphosa not attending the UNGA.
“Egypt did not explode, and Sisi did not go to New York. The Nigerian President said he would take his yearly break and asked his capable and trustworthy Vice President to attend to official duties in his place.
“Yet Peter Obi acts as though he doesn’t know where President Tinubu is and asks the same silly question that his supporters are asking on X,” he wrote.
Onanuga said Tinubu would return to Nigeria to participate in activities marking the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary and honour the late business mogul and democracy icon, MKO Abiola.
Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Tinubu at the 81st UNGA in New York.
Tinubu is scheduled to return to Nigeria from Paris, France, on September 29, 2026.
The President’s return was initially expected over the weekend, but the Presidency later confirmed an adjustment to the schedule.
Upon his return, Tinubu is expected to spend up to a week in Lagos before proceeding to Abuja.
