President Bola Tinubu has extended his working vacation by a few days and is expected to return to Nigeria at the weekend, the Presidency has announced.
Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for London, where he began his working vacation before travelling to Paris, France, after spending a week in the United Kingdom.
During his stay in Paris, the President met with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré, whose business interests include Canal+, MultiChoice and Universal Music Group.
In a statement issued on Monday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said Tinubu had remained in constant touch with developments in Nigeria and continued to direct the affairs of government while away.
According to the statement, the President had, among other directives, ordered an independent investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Minna following their detention by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The Presidency also said Tinubu had delegated Vice President Kashim Shettima to represent him at some official engagements during his absence.
Shettima left Abuja on September 20 for New York to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where he is representing the President and is expected to deliver Nigeria’s national statement.
With the Vice President in New York, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, who has also been representing the President at official engagements, will continue to do so, the Presidency said.
On the political front, the Presidency said the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abubakar Yari, had been leading senior party leaders in consultations with prominent traditional rulers across the country.
The Presidency also responded to comments by former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who questioned Tinubu’s absence from the United Nations General Assembly and called for an explanation.
It described Atiku’s comments, as well as those made by a United States-based lobbying firm, as “baseless insinuation” and criticised them as irresponsible.
“Vice President Shettima, who is representing the President at the global conference, will present Nigeria’s national statement,” the statement said.
