There is anger and uncertainty in the air across the country over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s incessant private trips to Paris, France.

The Guardian findings show that many Nigerians became agitated after the President departed last Wednesday for Paris on a private visit, the third time since he assumed office eight months ago.

The terse press statement issued by the president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, announcing the trip did not also go down well with some stakeholders.

The statement only revealed that President Tinubu was travelling to France and nothing else. “He will return to the country in the first week of February 2024,” Ngelale said.

Stakeholders, who spoke on the issue, however, expressed divergent opinions on the legality or otherwise of the president expending public resources on his private engagements.

On June 20, 2023, three weeks after assuming office, Tinubu opened his foreign schedules in Paris, the French capital.

A statement signed by then Special Adviser, Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Dele Alake, had explained that during his four-day stay, the President participated in the Paris Summit for the New Global Financial Pact, to “review and sign a New Global Financial Pact that places vulnerable countries on the priority list for support and investment, following the devastating impact of climate change, energy crisis, and after effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In September 2023, the President spent nine days with world leaders in New York, U.S., at the 78^th United Nations General Assembly, which began on September 19, his first UNGA as President.

Afterward, he proceeded to Paris, where he spent five days, arriving in Abuja on September 29 ahead of Nigeria’s 63^rd Independence Day anniversary on October 1.

While the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) are demanding to know reason for Tinubu’s regular private visits to France, some lawyers held that there is nothing in Nigeria laws prohibiting him as president to travel on private visit as long as he did not expend public resources.

The PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, had stated that insecurity and the state of the nation’s economy make it the worst time for Tinubu to embark on a foreign trip, the spokesperson for the 2023 Presidential Campaign Council of the LP, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, alleged there was a hidden agenda for the trip.

“The President is a public figure; he represents the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So, everything he engages in ought to be public knowledge. His whereabouts must be known so that people can follow him for accountability.

“If he decides to embark on a private activity or visit, he must transmit power to the Vice President to do his private thing. But as long as he remains the President, there is no provision for any private visit in the 1999 Constitution as amended 2010.

“In that case, he should have handed over before jetting out of the country. In any case, we all know what they are doing. He is tactically pulling the wool over the face of Nigerians so he can travel for medical check up as he is avoiding public scrutiny to cover up on his health status. This is the continuation of his predecessor’s style,” Tanko said.

He called on the National Assembly to interrogate the development whereby the Presidency is introducing jargons that are alien to the constitution in the guise of a private visit that is done with public funds.

“It is unfortunate that he had since pocketed the National Assembly; they are mere rubberstamp. It is only the public that can now demand for accountability and his whereabouts,” he added.

But a Lagos-based lawyer, Christian Oti, stated that the President, being a person and free citizen, is entitled to make private trips.

“I personally don’t think there is any provision of the Constitution against that. However, I believe such private trips should be funded by him as a private person as well. The President receives salary and other allowances. So, he can foot his private bills himself and not burden the state,” he said.

Another lawyer, Douglas Ogbankwa, said the President is “entitled to proceed on private visits as he has done to France,” adding: “Unfortunately, by Nigerian law, there is no inhibition on his use of public funds or public resources for such private visits.

“I do not know of any constitutional or legal bar for him to use public resources for private visits. It can only be a moral issue and not a legal issue.”

The lawyer, however, added that many countries of the world have zero tolerance for the use of public resources for private affairs.

“We need a legal regime or to amend our laws to reflect such international best practices,” he added.

Executive Director of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, stated that the Nigerian Constitution didn’t stipulate how much the President could embark on such travels, adding that it will be difficult to fault him.

“The thing is that as a president, we cannot predetermine how much he can engage in such travels especially as the constitution and other law of the federation did not prescribe the number of times he can travel. The only provision that is available is the number of weeks he could stay from the office without transmitting power to his vice. If we are to zero in on the Paris trip, which we believe has been frequent, the president should at least let the people know about the nature of the visits,” Adeniran said.

For the Abuja based lawyer, Jerry Aondo, President Tinubu was voted to hold the office of the President in trust for the citizenry and this presupposes that every private engagement, businesses or visit has to be kept away from the office.

“Section 130(2) CFRN 1999 (as amended) states the executive responsibility of the president above his personal interest and under the framework of our constitution, the president’s powers should not be used to bring about or attain unconstitutional result to his personal gain.

“The President’s actions run contrary to Chapter II of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) to save cost and use our common wealth for the welfare of the citizenry of this country. Aside from the criticism on funding private visit with tax payers’ money, the President, under the CFRN 1999 (as amended), is not allowed to use his office in trust to negotiate businesses or trips, which ought to be as personal cost.

“The reality is that, all movements by the President to France should be of public knowledge and the reasons stated. The transformative justice to cut cost to 60 persons must be adhered to by the President as the number one citizen of this country.

The cost of governance must be accountable by the President. He has the responsibility as an asset of this country to act practicable in line with his mandate to hold the office in trust for the good of the citizenry,” Aondo said.

On his part, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in 2023, Adewole Adebayo, said President Tinubu should signal seriousness to the federal workforce, noting that Nigerians and the country needs him most at this critical time.

According to him, without handing over the reins of government to the Vice President officially and declaring a gazetted leave of absence, the President is not entitled to any private visit outside Nigeria.

He noted that the President, having just returned from Christmas holidays to his home state, Lagos, less than a month ago, and now awarding himself a private visit at the beginning of the year with most pending and emergent socio-economic and national security issues unresolved and seemingly unattended to, is behaving like a part-time contractor in the State House.

His words: “There Is nothing private about the president of the country. His private visits are of public interest. It is the duty of the Presidency to give full details of the presidential itinerary to be public, in transparent and regular updates. The Presidency is a full time, round the clock office for the entire four-year period. If the president is not on official leave of absence, the notion of a private visit is an insolent misnomer.

“And if the President is on a leave of absence, the Vice President should be acting as president. In that scenario, a private visit, which is well briefed to the general public, is not out of line.

“The President is first and foremost a government employee. He can’t just abscond first and explain later. Imagine if President Tinubu walks to the front porch of the Villa only to find out that his driver has gone out of town on a private visit, taking the car keys with him? Would the President condone that?

“He must signal seriousness to the federal workforce and the rest of Nigeria. I pray for strength and discernment on his behalf.

“We need him more than he knows. He is the only one we have. All executive powers of the federation are vested in him. He needs to be available for us. I pray for strength and discernment on his behalf.”

According to Youth Party National Publicity Secretary, Ayodele Adio, it is disheartening that the President decided to travel abroad at a moment the security of the country is in question.

Adio said it was unacceptable for the president to prioritise his personal interest over the security of a state whose conflict has the potential to spill to other states.

“It’s unclear why the President visits France regularly as the communication from his media team is usually vague. However, I take issue with this particular one because he chose to embark on a private visit when a state is engulfed in crisis, considering that he’s the Commander-in-Chief.

“While I understand the usual argument that he will not directly be involved with the security personnel in the conflict zone, his presence will pressure the troops to double down on their efforts and will also reassure the residents of Plateau that their President cares and is doing everything to restore peace,” Adio said.

The founding National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chekwas Okorie, believes President Tinubu’s private visit to Paris is one of the privileges and entitlements of a Nigerian President under the country’s laws.

He Identified other such visits to include state visits, diplomatic visits and working visits, adding: “I consider the noisy controversy over his private visit to Paris as being unduly dramatised.”

He, however, suggested that the Presidency ought to provide more details about the nature of the private visit.

“The demand for more details is because of his status as the President of Nigeria. This would have cleared wild speculations spreading everywhere, particularly about its timing at a time when insecurity and several other flashpoints have put Nigerian on the edge of instability,” he explained.

Executive Director, Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO), Ibuchukwu Ezike, stated that only God, the president, and perhaps, those close to him could adduce reasons for such frequent travels to France.

“However, as a human, one can only attempt a guess. Three or four reasons I may suggest. First, France is one of the few developed nations of the World that readily accepted his Presidency. He may be visiting them as a friend. Secondly, the visit may be economical; to discuss economic cooperation with France. It may also be on medical tourism; to examine himself medically to be fit to deliver on his mandate to Nigerians.

“The last is on the soured relationship between France and her former colonies in the West African sub-region. President Tinubu is the Chairman of ECOWAS and one cannot foreclose France’s option of seeking his intervention in brokering peace between them and their former colonies in West Africa,” he noted.

But the Coordinator of Civil Rights Initiatives, Stephanie Brown, urged the President to shelve such visits and stay home to solve the country’s numerous problems.

“What has such visits benefitted us in the past? We are complaining about economic hardship, insecurity and killings here and there. Instead of sitting down to attend to the issues, he is embarking on private visits to the president of a country where things are working with our scare resources. It is not as if he is bringing something of benefit to the country with such visits.

“So, for me, it is not right. Our leaders should learn to be leaders and stop running to individuals they feel are more superior. The President has embarked on numerous visits outside the country since he was sworn into office last year. I am yet to see the benefits of such visits. Rather, Nigerians keep suffering in pains and poverty. It is time for him to sit down at home and initiate good policies that will attract these foreign powers to Nigeria not running to them all the time,” she said.

Emeritus President of Aka Ikenga, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, in his reaction, stated: “It’s disheartening that the president is continuing the infamous conduct of his predecessor, of jetting out on secret missions and leaving the affairs of the state in limbo.

“The legacy party of APC was AC. AC had the heroic role of insisting that the then President Umaru Yar’Adua disclosed his health status and why he was moving between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in unexplained missions.

“Former president, Muhammadu Buhari, took the esoteric trips and stay to a new level. Today, we have a president who is once more in Paris on unknown missions. What is wrong with addressing the nation and frankly disclosing his health status? Will it make him any less than what he is?”

The Youth Leader of the PDP in Ogun State, Sunkanmi Oyejide, who lamented the economic hardship in the country, said Tinubu’s private trip at this time was not the best, saying there was no sign yet that this administration is ready for business.

He said: “Being a president comes with high level of responsibility, which is what the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – Tinubu should know. It’s like when your house is on fire and you abandon it. What does that translate to?

“At this moment when there’s a great deal of insecurity in the land. We are all aware of what is happening in Plateau State. We are all aware of what happened last Thursday to the Lagos State Chairman of the PDP who was kidnapped while returning from the Southwest PDP meeting at Ibadan. We are aware that ours is an economy that is struggling, that needs an urgent attention.

“These are some of the things that the critical stakeholders and President need to discuss. He needs to stay more at home and consult widely so that we can have an economy that we are all proud of. A dollar to naira is over N1, 400 now; we have never had it this bad in this way in this country. His private trip at this time is not the best for the country. This administration should start showing why the electorate voted them into office; we should by now be seeing signs that the administration is ready for business.”

Oyejide stressed that at this critical period in the country, the President should sit more at home and engage critical stakeholders to fix the economy.

“There have been a lot of talks about the Dangote and Port Harcourt refineries that operations will soon start. But as we speak, nothing is working.

“Things have already started falling apart in this country. The President should sit more at home and stop embarking on needless trips abroad. Doing business in the country is no longer safe; the multinationals, including pharmaceutical companies, are moving their businesses outside the country. The drugs we buy at N1,000 is now about N11,000; the rice, which was the cheapest for the common man is now around N60,000. There is hunger in the land,” he added.

The Coordinator, Campaign Against Impunity in Nigeria, Comrade Shina Loremikan, who expressed worries over the state of the nation, said the country has entered ‘one chance.’

“It has been giving me some worries and concern that we only read a public statement that the president is on a private visit to Paris. What for? I don’t know. I think as a head of government, the job is not a part-time job, it’s a full time job; you don’t go on holiday or leave of absence without justification.

“In December 2023, the president relocated from Aso Rock to Lagos, Dodan Barracks and later Bourdillon, before the public holidays. One would have thought it’s enough for him to get some rest. But now, he has flown to Paris. The images I saw gave the impression that the emblem of Nigeria was on the aircraft. I don’t know if it’s a recent picture or the picture of his departure to Paris. If the visit is private, I don’t expect the President to be on our presidential fleet.

“The public notice also said the President will be back sometime in February. There’s no specific date. The experience we have had with the president of this country is that, we don’t even know their specific motive for travelling. It happened with President Yar’Adua; it happened with President Buhari, unfortunately, we are having it now with President Tinubu,” he said.

Loremikan noted that he has never heard that the president of some other third world countries, maybe Singapore, Malaysia or Vietnam left their country for medical treatment in Europe or America.

“I have never heard that the President of Cuba left Cuba for medical treatment outside the country. For many who don’t know, one of the best counties that deliver medical services is Cuba. I think we should join hands together to rebuild our Nigeria, that our medical services will be excellent.

“I don’t understand what they mean by private visit. We need more information. Every 24 hours to redeem this nation means a lot to Nigerians. Every week means a lot for the young people of Nigeria to be given realistic hope. The situation we are now in Nigeria shows that we have really entered one chance.

“To be a patriot goes beyond mouthing it. Painfully, the former president of Egypt, Anwar Sadat, took the issue of the Middle East seriously that his life was terminated. Indira Gandhi in India took the issue of nation building in India seriously and his life was terminated. I don’t see any public officer ready to die for this country.

“Their utterances, their conducts, their character, their ambition, and their mission, does not suggest that they are ready to die for this country. They just want mere survival on a daily basis. If they know the ABC of the insecurity problem in Nigeria, they don’t have the XYZ solutions to it,” he noted.

On its part, the Centre for Democracy, described the frequent trips and the secrecy about the trips as worrisome, noting that the country is being ran like a private enterprise.

“The President can travel; he has been traveling, either official or unofficial. As a public servant, who in the full glare of the cameras flew out of the country in Nigeria presidential jet, Nigeria Air Force 01, I think Nigerians deserve to know wherever the President goes; be it for private visit, vacation or official assignment.

“To reduce the whereabouts of a country’s President to private visit to the extent that Nigerians do not know the current location of their President or situation calls for worry.

“Like I said, it is not out of place to travel for official or unofficial visit. But I think it is very unfortunate that the president of a country would be on what is described as a private visit. Is the President on vacation? Is he on leave? Did he hand over to his vice? These are the fundamental questions because we must understand that we cannot continue to run a state like a private enterprise,” said Olufemi Lawson of the CDC.

Lawson expressed sadness that in the last 72 hours, some people have been killed in Mangu Council of Plateau State, noting that not even a minister has visited that part of the country.

“Nigeria, whether anybody likes it or not, is going through turbulence. Of course, the President can travel; for instance, he has issue of his health to address. Although we did not expect that he will leave that time and go to Mangu. But at least, the President, while leaving the country, must be seen to be concerned about the situation in the country, particularly the current security situation. As I speak to you, communities are being attacked day and night in Plateau State and some other parts of the country. Now you said the president is going on a private visit.

“Have we become so convenient and comfortable that the President will travel on a private visit without giving speculations on what such visit is about and of course the location of the President? I think we should be concerned as Nigerians that at this very crucial moment, the president is embarking on a private visit while the country is virtually burns,” Lawson said.

National Publicity Secretary, Young Progressives Party (YPP), Egbeola Martin, wondered why the visit of the president this time was shrouded in secrecy.

Noting that the president is a public asset with some level of limitations to his privacy, he said the Presidency should stop being treated like a cult where things have to be done in secrecy.

According to Martin, even if the president must travel “especially at a time such as this where there is high level of insecurity, I think he owes the citizens an explanation as to what he is going to do and where he is going to.”

He said: “Being a president to a country, in as much as he has right to his privacy, there are limitations to that privacy. You can’t be going on a private visit for two weeks without letting citizens know the purpose of such a visit. The president is a public property from the very day he was sworn in as the president of Nigeria and his affairs is also our concerns.”

On his part, Programmes and Communications Manager, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), Armsfree Ajanaku, observed that a private visit where state resources have been expended raises question of accountability.

Recalling that similar scenario played out during the last administration, he said the recent action by the Presidency suggests a continuation of culture of impunity

“This current visit by the President was portrayed by the Presidency as a private visit; a private visit in which state resources has been expended. It shows that in terms of the understanding of those who lead the country, there is no demarcation between public and private resources. That in itself raises a lot of accountability question that we have to look at going forward,” he said.

Chairman, Citizenship Civic Awareness Centre aka Democracy Vanguard, Adeola Soetan, also said: “I always say, one can only feign sickness but one can’t feign wellness no matter how we try. This was my submission during the unnecessary hide and seek game when Buhari’s health was failing and he was embarking on frequent medical trip to Europe. President Tinubu has followed the same path of non-disclosure of his real state of health even before assuming office. But now as president, citizens deserve to know everything about him and others. Unfortunately, Nigeria is back on the same vicious circle of tragicomedy on the president’s health and private visit. It’s a familiar scene of false narrative, from private visit to slight medical checkup, to extension of the president’s private visit to whether he should transmit power to his vice since he’s staying too long, to the president can operate from anywhere in the world. It shows how flippant, arrogant, crooked and unreliable the Nigerian ruling elites can be by taking citizens for granted. Body is not wood or stone, and nobody expects leaders to be super humans not to fall sick or even die, we all do.

“Those who are not transparent enough to disclose the state of their health can’t be expected to be honest with the state of the nation and its resources in their care. Private visits should be privately funded and should not be on the “nation’s neck,” he said.

Head of Department of Politics and International Relations, KolaDaisi University, Ibadan, Dr. Adebukola Ayoola, said: “I see no reason for the spark. Even though he is a public figure, he has right to make private trips. The only thing is proper communication of his whereabouts to the nation, which his media aid already did. Reason for his visit to France remains private to him and it could be anything, perhaps, for medical check up or otherwise. Nigerians should stop making noise for the wrong reasons.” (The Guardia: Text, Excluding Headline)

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