Reappeared in England: Why the Secrecy Around Tinubu’s Foreign Travels?

It was seven days of radio silence regarding the whereabouts of Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, until, suddenly out of the blue, he appeared in England, grinning with King Charles.

What was President Tinubu, who left for China on August 29, doing in England after reportedly leaving the East Asia country on September 5 following a meeting with Nigerians there?

According to the Presidential statement on Wednesday, his visit to the Royal “was at the King’s request,” an expression that many Nigerians, or at least I, interpreted as somewhat demeaning.

The King summoned the President of a country of 200 million, and without communicating with the people who elected him to govern, he jetted off in haste.

What was the purpose of this visit that it had to be kept away from Nigerians?

“Both leaders discussed global and regional matters of shared priority, focusing on the urgent and complex challenge of climate change.”

This was political-speak, at best, and somewhat insulting to the collective intelligence of Nigerians.

The statement continued, “President Tinubu and His Majesty also explored opportunities for collaboration in anticipation of the upcoming COP 29 Summit in Azerbaijan and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.”

Why would an invitation concerning climate change be kept from the Nigerian public?

Although the CHOGM is five weeks away, the COP 29 Summit is not until November 11.

One might wonder if there are not more crucial engagements—ones that could potentially alleviate the suffering of Nigerians—that President Tinubu could meaningfully engage in, rather than posing with the King.

Couldn’t the visit with the King have been handled by other members of the National Council on Climate Change, perhaps the Minister of Environment? Or was the visit for the cameras, in the often-perceived fashion that Nigerian political leaders have an unhealthy affinity for posing and meeting with ‘world leaders’ to give the impression that they are brokering important deals?

Tinubu’s sudden appearance in England is not the first time he has kept his travels away from public view, in a manner that sneers, “You don’t need to know about my movements.”

On April 23, the President left for the Netherlands to visit Prime Minister Mark Rutte. From there, he left for Saudi Arabia, where he attended the two-day World Economic Forum held in Riyadh from April 28 to 29. However, after the event ended, the President was nowhere to be found for a week until he returned on May 8.

Remember that President Tinubu’s unannounced appearance in Europe comes just less than a month after he flew to France on what the Presidency told Nigerians was a work trip. Laughable as this might sound, Tinubu, in January, was in the same France for what was described as a “private visit.”

The supposed private visit to France, where he spent two weeks, along with recent travels—reasons that were, to some, not effectively communicated to Nigerians—has sparked curiosity among Nigerians, leading to questions about whether the President is sick.

Knowing that Nigeria’s past leaders have a history of not being forthcoming with the truth when it pertains to their health—from Umaru Yar’Adua, who spent months on a sickbed overseas without full disclosure to Nigerians, to Muhammadu Buhari, who had extended medical trips abroad—it is not out of place that Nigerians are beginning to speculate about the health status of their elected president.

Is he sick? Or does the President enjoy cruising around in his Presidential jet across the globe while Nigerians spend unimaginable hours at petrol stations trying to purchase fuel at exorbitant prices?

Is he sick? Or does the President prefer to grin and smile into cameras with other world leaders, while floods wreak havoc in his country, killing scores of citizens and destroying billions worth of property?

Is he sick? Or does the President enjoy the liberty of movement, at the expense of Nigerian taxpayers, that his position now ‘freely’ offers him, with little regard for prudence, or even the courtesy of detailing to Nigerians, “Here’s where I’ll be and why”?

Already, since he assumed office in May 2023, President Tinubu has traveled to over 22 countries, spending more than 114 days outside Nigeria.

It is a similar pattern Nigerians are used to. During Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure, the former President spent 225 days abroad on medical trips alone.

Given the challenges Nigerians are facing—many of which are due to Tinubu’s economic initiatives—the President, if nothing else, should be on the ground to sympathise with those who gave him the mandate to lead them. Not sending condolence messages from his jet or luxurious hotels, as he did for those who lost their lives in the Maiduguri floods.