Nigeria’s President Tinubu Delays Return From Europe Again, Now Due Tuesday
Nigeria · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —The country Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, with about 243 million people. Its economy, about US$377 billion by IMF estimates, is Africa’s third-largest but under a tenth of Britain’s.
- —Why it matters Nigeria’s president holds sweeping executive power. The constitution lets the vice-president act for him only after a written notice is sent to parliament.
- —Why now Bola Tinubu left on August 30 for a three-week working vacation in London and Paris. His return date has now slipped twice.
- —What happened On Sunday, September 27, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed that Tinubu will fly back to Lagos on Tuesday, September 29.
- —Who is involved Senate President Godswill Akpabio says there is “no vacancy” in the presidency. A group of House members wants parliament recalled to settle who is in charge.
- —What it means for you Daily life and business run as normal, but decisions needing the president may wait. Thursday, October 1, Independence Day, is a public holiday.
- —Still open The presidency has not said publicly whether Tinubu sent that written notice before leaving, or whether the Tuesday date will hold.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu is now due home on Tuesday, September 29, after a month in Europe. His absence has raised a constitutional question at home: who legally runs Africa’s most populous country while he is away?
Tinubu’s return to Nigeria has slipped again, this time to Tuesday, September 29, 2026. The president left on August 30 for what his office called a three-week working vacation in London and Paris.
Nigeria, a country of about 243 million people, is Africa’s third-largest economy after South Africa and Egypt, according to IMF estimates. Its president holds far more direct power than a European head of government.
A return date that keeps moving
On Monday, September 21, the presidency said Tinubu had extended his vacation “by a few days” and would return at the weekend. On Sunday, September 27, spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed a new plan to The Nation newspaper.
“Yes, it’s true, he will return on Tuesday,” Onanuga said, calling it “just a slight adjustment” to the schedule. The president will land in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital and his political home base.
Tinubu is expected to stay in Lagos for Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day on Thursday, October 1. Onanuga said he will attend the premiere of a documentary on the late politician MKO Abiola before returning to Abuja.
Presidency sources told the newspaper ThisDay that Lagos governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu will receive him at the airport. Tinubu also marked Independence Day in Lagos in 2025, the paper noted.
London, then Paris
According to Onanuga, Tinubu spent about a week in London before moving to Paris. There he met French President Emmanuel Macron and the French businessman Vincent Bolloré.
Bolloré’s family controls the media group behind Canal+, the French broadcaster. Canal+ now owns MultiChoice, whose DStv and GOtv pay-TV services are widely used in Nigeria.
The presidency has not published details of what was discussed in either meeting. It said only that the president stayed in contact with officials and kept directing government business from abroad.
As an example, it said Tinubu ordered an independent panel to investigate the deaths of 37 detained illegal miners in Minna. Minna is the capital of Niger State, in Nigeria’s north-central region.
The constitutional question behind Tinubu’s return
Section 145 of Nigeria’s 1999 constitution covers a president’s absence. If he sends a written notice to the heads of both chambers of parliament, the vice-president acts as president until he returns.
If no notice is sent within 21 days, parliament can vote to make the vice-president acting president. That 21-day mark passed around September 20, three weeks after Tinubu left.
The presidency has not said publicly whether Tinubu sent the notice. Vice-President Kashim Shettima was himself abroad from September 20, representing Nigeria at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
On Wednesday, September 23, a cross-party group of House members, the Save Democracy Group, urged parliament to reconvene, Premium Times reported. It asked the leaders to say whether the notice was sent.
“The Constitution cannot be replaced by assurances that the president remains in communication with officials,” the group said.
“No vacancy,” says the Senate president
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, a senior figure in Tinubu’s ruling party, rejected the criticism on Tuesday, September 22. He said there was “no vacancy in Aso Rock,” the presidential villa in Abuja.
Akpabio insisted Tinubu remained in charge and dismissed calls for Shettima to take over, according to several Nigerian newspapers. Parliament has not been recalled.
The debate echoes 2010, when President Umaru Yar’Adua’s long absence abroad prompted parliament to name his deputy acting president. That episode is the reason the 21-day rule was later added to the constitution.
What Tinubu’s return means for visitors and investors
For people living, travelling or doing business in Nigeria, daily life has not changed. Ministries, the central bank and the courts have kept working while the president was abroad.
The practical risk is delay. Decisions needing the president’s signature, such as major appointments or large contracts, may have waited until his return.
Thursday, October 1, is a public holiday, so government offices and banks will close. Presidential movements in Lagos can also bring road closures around the airport and the city centre.
The trip adds to scrutiny of presidential travel ahead of the 2027 elections. The Rio Times has reported on what the presidency spends on trips.
What to watch next
The first test is whether Tinubu lands in Lagos on Tuesday as promised. The date has already moved from the original three weeks to the weekend, and now to Tuesday.
The second is his Independence Day appearance on October 1. Any speech will be read for signals on the economy, security and the 2027 election campaign.
The constitutional question will not disappear with his return. Lawmakers still want to know whether the written notice was ever sent.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is President Tinubu returning to Nigeria?
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said on September 27 that Tinubu will return on Tuesday, September 29. He will fly to Lagos and stay there for the October 1 Independence Day events before going back to Abuja.
Why has Tinubu’s absence caused political debate?
Nigeria’s constitution lets the vice-president act as president once the president sends parliament a written notice. The presidency has not said publicly whether that notice was sent, and some lawmakers want parliament recalled to settle it.
Who did Tinubu meet in Paris?
According to the presidency, Tinubu met French President Emmanuel Macron and the French businessman Vincent Bolloré. Bolloré’s family controls the group behind Canal+, which now owns the pay-TV firm MultiChoice.
Does Tinubu’s return affect visitors to Nigeria?
Daily life and business are unaffected, though decisions needing the president’s approval may have waited. Thursday, October 1, is a public holiday, and presidential movements in Lagos can bring road closures.
Sources
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