He referred to Tinubu’s talks with investors in France, including what he called the President’s recent engagement in helping a $7 billion deep-sea port in Ogun Waterside, a project of the Ogun State Government.
Onanuga’s comments come as opposition politicians have criticised Tinubu’s extended absence from Nigeria and his choice not to be physically present at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Channels TV reports.
The president departed Nigeria on Aug. 30, for what the administration initially billed as a three-week yearly leave, flying first to London and then to Paris.
The POTUS then said he had extended the working holiday by a few days and will be back at the weekend.
President Tinubu assigned Vice President Kashim Shettima to the UNGA in New York, marking the third year in a row the president has sent his vice to lead Nigeria’s delegation at the conference.
Former vice president and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had asked if the president had sent a written declaration to the leadership of the National Assembly to enable Shettima to act as president in his absence, querying Tinubu’s continued out-of-office status.
Atiku said such declaration was provided for under Section 145 of the Constitution when the president goes on vacation, and asked if the protocol was followed and evidence supplied to Nigerians.
Earlier, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Party (NDC), Peter Obi, had blasted Tinubu’s plan to vacation in Europe, saying the president should instead be focused with tackling the difficulties affecting Nigerians. And Obi also asked why president should not take his vacation inside Nigeria.
However, the presidency has insisted that Tinubu was kept informed of happenings at home and continued to run the affairs of government while abroad.
It further claimed that Shettima was carrying the president’s full mandate to the UNGA and that Nigeria’s interests will be actively promoted in New York.
Onanuga, meanwhile, contrasted Tinubu’s absence from the UNGA to that of the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, claiming neither attended this year’s conference.
“The Nigerian President announced he was going on his annual vacation and sent his able and dependable vice president to attend,” he remarked.
The presidential adviser also dismissed Peter Obi’s enquiries concerning Tinubu’s location.
“But Peter Obi is pretending not to know where President Tinubu is and asking the childish question his followers are asking on X,” Onanuga remarked.
Onanuga said Tinubu would travel to Nigeria this week to celebrate Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary and grace the Lagos premiere of a movie in honour of the late MKO Abiola, whom he called “the martyr of the democracy we enjoy today”.
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