Paul Ibe, the media spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has called out the Presidency for its repeated failure to specify exactly when President Bola Tinubu will return from his international travels.
This criticism follows reports that President Tinubu is scheduled to leave Abuja today, Monday, January 26, 2026, for a state visit to Turkey. While the Presidency, through spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, characterized the trip as a “multi-day diplomatic engagement,” no specific duration was provided.
According to Onanuga’s Sunday statement, the mission focuses on deepening the partnership between Nigeria and Turkey, with a particular emphasis on security, education, aviation, and innovation. The visit is also expected to feature high-level talks on mutual interests in trade, finance, and investment.
The official statement noted that the diplomatic agenda features high-level meetings and the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) across several sectors, including energy, scientific research, and military cooperation.
However, the Presidency omitted a specific return date, stating only that President Tinubu would arrive back in Nigeria “at the conclusion of the visit.”
This lack of clarity drew a sharp response from Paul Ibe on Monday. Posting on X, Ibe condemned the non-disclosure as a troubling “new trend” in the administration’s communication. He mockingly suggested that the open-ended schedule might be a strategy to facilitate unannounced detours, joking that the President might be trying to “squeeze in” a few days of relaxation and cocktails in France.
