Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has continued to question President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s prolonged stay in France, alleging that the President is receiving medical treatment there rather than simply observing the working vacation announced by the Presidency. Sowore’s claim comes amid growing public discussion over Tinubu’s absence from Nigeria and his decision not to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. The allegation has not been independently established, while the Presidency has maintained that Tinubu is well and has continued to perform his official duties from abroad.
Sowore made the allegation in a public statement while reacting to Tinubu’s absence from the UN General Assembly. He argued that the President’s extended stay in France should not simply be explained as a vacation and alleged that Tinubu was undergoing treatment. The AAC presidential candidate also linked the President’s absence from the United States to other political considerations. Those claims, however, remain allegations from Sowore and have not been independently verified by credible evidence.
The Presidency has offered a different account of Tinubu’s stay abroad. In an official statement on September 21, the State House said the President had travelled from Nigeria on August 30 for a working vacation, spending the first part of the trip in London before moving to Paris. During his stay in France, Tinubu held meetings, including an engagement with French President Emmanuel Macron and discussions with businessman Vincent Bolloré on investment and Nigeria’s creative and digital economy. The Presidency said Tinubu remained in contact with officials at home and continued directing the affairs of government while abroad.
The debate intensified after Tinubu did not return on the date initially expected and also did not attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria. In its latest public clarification, the Presidency again rejected concerns about the President’s health, with presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga saying Tinubu was “hale and hearty” and describing the trip as a working vacation. The government also maintained that modern communication allows the President to continue carrying out his responsibilities while outside the country.
The controversy has therefore remained centred on competing accounts: Sowore’s allegation that Tinubu is in France for medical treatment and the Presidency’s position that he is on a working vacation and remains in good health. No official medical record or independent evidence confirming Sowore’s allegation has been presented in the reports reviewed. Meanwhile, the President’s prolonged absence has generated wider political and constitutional discussions, including questions about the procedures governing presidential absence from Nigeria. The African Action Congress has also filed a court action challenging the failure to transfer presidential powers to Vice President Shettima during Tinubu’s extended stay abroad.
