President Bola Tinubu has jetted out of Abuja for a three-week European vacation, with a presidential aide saying the break is meant to help him “refuel” ahead of months of intense political activity and campaigning for the 2027 elections.
Tinubu departed the Federal Capital Territory on Sunday as the Presidency confirmed that his first stop would be London, United Kingdom.
The trip is part of the President’s 2026 annual leave and has been described by the Presidency as a working vacation. Details of the other European destinations on his itinerary have not been made public.
Speaking to journalists after the President’s departure, Presidential Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said Tinubu needed the break after months of intense engagement with the affairs of the country.
Dare explained that the President had spent the past six to seven months dealing with major issues, particularly security and the economy, while taking what he described as significant decisions on the running of the country.
He said the timing of the vacation was also important because political activities ahead of the 2027 elections had entered a critical phase.
According to him, Tinubu faces several months of hectic political activity as the campaign season gathers momentum, making the leave necessary for the President to rest and recharge before returning to the political battlefield.
Dare, however, stressed that the vacation would not mean the President was completely disconnected from government.
He said Tinubu would continue to receive regular briefings from ministers, service chiefs and other officials handling key government responsibilities while abroad.
The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had earlier announced that Tinubu would leave Abuja for Europe for three weeks as part of his annual leave.
Onanuga said the President was expected to return to Nigeria after the working vacation and join the campaign activities ahead of the January 2027 election.
Tinubu’s European getaway comes barely two weeks after the Independent National Electoral Commission opened the campaign period for the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.
The President, who is seeking a second term on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, is expected to face a crowded opposition field as the 2027 contest heats up.
His latest break also comes shortly after Vice-President Kashim Shettima returned from his own leave.
Shettima commenced a two-week leave on August 6 and resumed official duties on August 18, with his office saying the break was intended for study, reflection and intellectual renewal.
He has since returned to official engagements, including representing Tinubu at an African Union meeting in Angola.
With the President now away for three weeks, attention is expected to remain on how the Presidency handles day-to-day affairs during his absence, particularly as political activities intensify across the country.
The Presidency has not publicly announced details of any transfer of presidential powers to Shettima for the period of Tinubu’s vacation.
