6 days after Forum in Saudi Arabia, Tinubu yet to return

Yesterday was exactly six days after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu attended the World Economic Forum’s (WEF’s) Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and he is yet to return to Nigeria.

The two-day forum, which aimed to help public and private sector leaders address shared global challenges, opened on Sunday, April 28 and ended on Monday, April 29, 2024.

The presidency has not released any statement on what was holding the president from returning to Nigeria, reports Daily Trust.

This has led to speculations in some quarters that the president may have proceeded to Paris, France, where he had travelled to several times for medicals.

However, two credible sources have independently told this paper that the president proceeded to London from the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

One of our two sources, a highly placed official at the presidency, told one of our reporters yesterday that the president “is at the moment in London on a private visit.”

The official, who asked not to be mentioned, declined further comments on the reason for the president’s visit in London.

“I really don’t know, he (the president) has left Saudi Arabia and he should be in London now, but I don’t have details.

“I don’t have an idea about it (the purpose of the president’s trip to London), but I think it is a private visit,” the official said.

Another top official at the Presidential Villa said there was no cause for alarm about the president’s whereabouts.

The official, who refused to disclose his boss’ whereabouts, assured that the president would return to the country “this weekend.”

The president had, on April 23, left Abuja for the Kingdom of the Netherlands on an official visit.

His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, had, in a statement, said the visit was on the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Ngelale had said that while in the Netherlands, Tinubu would engage in high-level discussions with the Prime Minister and hold separate meetings with His Royal Majesty, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Kingdom.

“While in the Netherlands, the president will participate in the Nigerian-Dutch Business and Investment Forum, that will bring together heads of conglomerates and organisations in both countries to explore opportunities for collaboration and partnerships, especially in agriculture and water management towards innovative solutions for sustainable farming practices,” he had stated.

Ngelale had added that Tinubu would, as part of the official visits, also proceed to attend a special WEF meeting scheduled for April 28-29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The special meeting in Riyadh was to, among other objectives, bridge the growing North-South divide, which has further widened on issues such as emerging economic policies, the energy transition and geopolitical shocks.