Isaac Samuel
Amid rising public concern over the prolonged silence surrounding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s movements, the Presidency on Saturday announced his return to Abuja after a two-nation trip to Saint Lucia and Brazil.
But the brief nature of the announcement and the lack of clarity on his whereabouts following the BRICS Summit in Brazil have continued to fuel speculation across the country.
Presidential aide, Bayo Onanuga, in a short post on X (formerly Twitter), said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu returns to Abuja today after his two-nation visit to Saint Lucia and Brazil.”
He, however, did not offer any clarification on where the President was between the end of the BRICS Summit on July 7 and his reported return on July 12.
The comment section under the post was flooded with Nigerians demanding transparency, with some mocking the secrecy surrounding the President’s itinerary.
“Went missing for over four days. Nigerians start asking, where is he? Then, he reappears from nowhere to resume his chores. No explanation is given,” one user, @afrisagacity, wrote.
Another posted, “He must have travelled by road,” reflecting the disbelief and satire circulating online.
“No reception at the airport as usual, the train didn’t move fast that’s why there was delay since the BRICS submit ended”, another user @Joshj3344 said.
Earlier, the Presidency had announced that Tinubu would depart Nigeria on June 28 for official visits to Saint Lucia and Brazil.
According to the initial statement, the visit to Saint Lucia was part of efforts to strengthen South-South cooperation and deepen Nigeria’s relationship with Caribbean nations.
The President was also scheduled to attend the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 6 to 7.
However, the silence that followed the conclusion of the BRICS summit raised concern in the public, as the Presidency failed to provide updates on Tinubu’s movements or any engagements post-summit.
Though unconfirmed, sources, alleged that the stop in Saint Lucia may have served as a strategic cover for discreet medical consultations, allegedly facilitated by influential businessman and Tinubu associate, Gilbert Chagoury, who is also said to be the Honorary Consul of Saint Lucia to the Vatican.
The report claims the visit was designed as “a clever decoy” to allow the President’s medical team to meet him without attracting media attention, given the controversy that has trailed his previous medical trips to France.
Though the Presidency has yet to directly address these claims, Onanuga in past instances has dismissed similar public concerns as “uninformed,” urging critics to show restraint if the President is on a scheduled visit or rest.
