President Bola Tinubu has departed Abuja for a three-week vacation in Europe as part of his 2026 annual leave.
Tinubu left Nigeria on Sunday following an official send-off at the airport attended by government officials, security personnel and military officers.
Footage from the departure showed the President arriving at the airport in a motorcade before walking alongside his aides and boarding the aircraft, as military personnel saluted and officials waved him goodbye.
Speaking to journalists at the airport, the Presidential Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said the vacation would give Tinubu an opportunity to rest and “refuel” after months of intense engagement with matters of state.
Dare said the President had spent the past six to seven months taking major decisions on security, the economy and other national issues.
“The President has had several months—six, seven months—of being engaged with state matters. We’ve seen monumental changes, monumental decisions taken with our security, with our economy and so many other things as pertains to the running of the affairs of this country,” he said.
According to the presidential aide, the break would also allow Tinubu to prepare for the months of political activity ahead of the 2027 elections, with the campaign season already underway.
“And at this point, the campaign season has just started. We have four, five months of serious campaigning. Of course, governance will still continue,” Dare said.
He stressed that Tinubu would remain in touch with government affairs throughout his vacation and continue to receive regular briefings from ministers, service chiefs and other officials responsible for key national decisions.
“And at this point, it’s important that the President also refuels. And even though he’s going on leave, we know that he’ll be engaged with state matters on a daily basis,” he said.
Dare added that the President would receive updates from members of his cabinet, security chiefs and other officials while abroad.
Tinubu’s departure came after his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced that the President would embark on a three-week annual leave in Europe.
Onanuga said London, United Kingdom, would be Tinubu’s first destination and that the President was expected to return to Nigeria after the working vacation to join the campaign ahead of the January 2027 election.
