NIGERIA: ADC Accuses Tinubu Of Repeated Unexplained Absences Abroad

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria 

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised alarm over what it described as a recurring pattern of President Bola Tinubu’s unaccounted absences during official foreign trips.

It warned that the lack of transparency undermines public trust and Nigeria’s global image.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bola Abdullahi, on Sunday, the party criticised the President’s failure to address Nigerians after a five-day silence following the conclusion of the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

While President Tinubu returned to the country in the early hours of Sunday, July 13, the ADC said the unexplained delay in his return was not an isolated incident but part of a troubling trend.

“This is not the first time the President has gone off the radar during or after an international assignment,” the party said.

It added that “Each unexplained disappearance erodes the moral ground on which this administration asks Nigerians to make sacrifices.”

According to the ADC, similar incidents were recorded in January, April, August, and September 2024, including trips to France, the Netherlands, China, and the UAE, where the President reportedly vanished from public view without briefings or official updates.

The ADC argued that while other world leaders return home after global summits to brief their citizens, Tinubu’s post-summit silence has become routine and damaging.

The party acknowledged the importance of foreign diplomacy but insisted that Nigerians have a right to know the whereabouts and status of their President at all times.

“We are not asking for classified security details. We are demanding basic accountability from a leader in whom national responsibility is vested,” the party said.

While the Presidency has yet to respond to the concerns raised, the ADC maintained that the frequent lack of communication and transparency is a growing threat to democratic governance.

The statement concluded with a call for institutional reforms to ensure better communication and accountability regarding the President’s international engagements.