TINUBU: After Controversial London Trip, President Begins ‘Private Visit’ To France

President Bola Tinubu will on Wednesday commence a two-week private visit to France, seven months after his trip to London generated controversy.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had denied reports that Tinubu’s London trip in June 2023 was for medical treatment, stating it was a private visit following the Paris summit.

Speculation persisted that Tinubu used the summit to covertly visit doctors in London, amid claims he was grappling with ailing health.

The APC dismissed this as speculation, saying Tinubu completed his inauguration ceremonies without issue.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, announced the fresh trip in a terse statement on Wednesday, simply stating that Tinubu “departs Abuja for Paris, France, on Wednesday, January 24, 2024” and “will return to the country in the first week of February, 2024.”

London Trip Controversy

Tinubu’s June 2023 trip to London, initially planned as a brief extension of a Paris summit visit, ignited rumors about his health.

The APC countered the claims, insisting the president was merely taking a private vacation.

Dele Alake, Tinubu’s then-Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, issued a statement clarifying the London visit as purely personal.

However, social media was awash with speculation that the Paris summit served as a pretext for the president to seek medical attention in London.

The APC also dismissed the speculations, questioning the incessant rumors about Tinubu’s health whenever he travels to London.

The party argued that the president’s public appearances, including his inauguration ceremony in May 2023 where he stood for extended periods, demonstrated his fitness for office.

The current trip to France, while officially designated as private, might reignite similar speculations.