PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed Nigeria on Sunday, August 30, to begin a three-week annual vacation in Europe, just as Vice President, Kashim Shettima, returned to Abuja from Luanda, Angola, where he led Nigeria’s delegation and represented the President at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU).
Nigeria demanded tougher action against conflicts, insecurity and xenophobic attacks targeting Africans at the AU meeting.
The Presidency had, in a statement on Sunday, announced that Tinubu departed Abuja on Sunday for Europe, with London, United Kingdom (UK) as his first destination, before proceeding to other European destinations, which were not disclosed.
It was not clear if he would undertake any official engagements during the vacation.
Tinubu’s Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, described the break as “well deserved,” saying the President needed to “refuel” after months of intense engagement with the affairs of state.
Dare said the President had spent the past six to seven months taking what he described as “monumental” decisions on the economy, security and other critical areas of national development, and that the vacation comes at a sensitive period for his administration, with attention focused on the implementation of its economic reform programme, security challenges and efforts to attract investment and strengthen domestic production.
He stated that the vacation also comes as political activity gathers momentum ahead of next year’s general elections, with fresh alignments and scheming already emerging within the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition parties.
