The African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu is receiving medical treatment in France, contrary to the Presidency’s position that the President is on an annual leave and working vacation in Europe.
Sowore made the claim on Sunday while reacting to Tinubu’s decision to stay away from the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Recall that the Presidency had announced that Vice President Kashim Shettima would represent Tinubu at the UNGA and lead Nigeria’s delegation during the high-level meetings. The 81st session opened on September 8, while the general debate is scheduled to begin on September 22.
Earlier, the Presidency had said Tinubu departed Abuja on August 30 for a three-week annual leave in Europe, with London as his first destination.
However, Sowore disputed the official explanation, alleging that Tinubu’s absence from the UN gathering was linked to concerns about possible legal action against him in the United States.
In a post on X, the AAC candidate said there was “something inherently wrong with Nigeria” over what he described as the President’s absence from the UNGA and his stay in France.
Sowore alleged that Tinubu’s decision not to attend the gathering was connected to his claimed fear that the United States government could arrest him over what he referred to as the President’s “past drug-dealing case.”
He also alleged that the President was undergoing medical treatment in France and would subsequently return to Nigeria with the trip presented as a routine vacation.
“Tinubu is not on vacation; he is receiving treatment in France, and they will package him to return as though nothing happened,” Sowore alleged.
The AAC candidate further criticised supporters of the administration for what he described as their silence over Tinubu’s absence.
He compared the situation with the secrecy that, according to him, surrounded the overseas medical trips of former Presidents Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Muhammadu Buhari.
Sowore called on Nigerians to reject what he described as a system built around secrecy and political “machinations.”
Tinubu’s absence from the 81st UNGA was confirmed on Sunday with the announcement that Shettima would represent Nigeria.
The Vice President is expected to participate in high-level meetings and other diplomatic engagements during the UNGA week.
Tinubu attended the UN General Assembly in person in 2023, while Shettima represented him at the 2024 and 2025 sessions.
Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has also demanded an explanation from President Tinubu over his decision to stay away from the 81st UNGA.
Atiku questioned whether Tinubu’s past legal controversy in the United States was influencing the President’s participation in Nigeria’s diplomatic engagements.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former Vice President said Tinubu’s absence from the 2024, 2025 and 2026 UNGA sessions had become a recurring pattern, with the Vice President repeatedly representing him.
While acknowledging that Shettima could adequately represent Nigeria, Atiku argued that the Vice President’s participation could not permanently substitute for the President’s personal presence at one of the world’s most significant diplomatic gatherings.
“The United Nations General Assembly is one of the world’s most important diplomatic gatherings. It brings together the representatives of the UN’s 193 member states and provides a unique platform for presidents and prime ministers to defend their countries’ interests, negotiate partnerships and shape global decisions on trade, security and development,” Atiku said.
He argued that the UNGA was far more than a ceremonial gathering, stressing that world leaders use the annual event and its sidelines for bilateral meetings, investment discussions, trade negotiations and engagements on development financing.
