Atiku’s Aide Raises Questions Over Tinubu’s Travel Plans

Paul Ibe, media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Presidency over what he described as a growing pattern of failing to disclose the return dates of President Bola Tinubu’s foreign trips.

The President Tinubu is expected to depart Abuja on Monday, January 26, 2026, for a state visit to the Republic of Turkey, which the Presidency described as a multi-day diplomatic engagement.

According to a statement issued by the Presidential Spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, on Sunday, the visit is aimed at strengthening the existing cordial relations between the two countries and exploring further areas of cooperation in security, education, social development, innovation, and aviation.

He added that during Tinubu’s visit, both countries will engage in strategic political and diplomatic discussions on shared values in finance, communication, trade and investment.

The statement added that the agenda will include meetings between high-ranking officials of both nations and the signing of memoranda of understanding in scientific research, energy, technical cooperation, media and communications, military cooperation and protocol, among others.

However, the Presidency did not state when he would return, noting only that Tinubu would be back “at the conclusion of the visit.”

Reacting in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, Ibe questioned the lack of transparency around the President’s travel schedule, suggesting that the omission of a return date had become a recurring trend.

“What is this new trend of not giving a date of the return of the President whenever he is travelling out?” Ibe asked.

He further made a sarcastic remark, implying that the open-ended nature of such trips could allow for unscheduled stopovers, saying it might be to determine “if a few days in France to lounge and drink Pina Colada with the French squad can be squeezed in.”