Is President Tinubu Using Foreign Trips To Abdicate Governance?

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is again preparing to leave Nigeria, this time for St. Lucia on June 28, for what has been described as a mix of “official engagements” and “personal vacation.” The trip was confirmed by St. Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre, who stated that only two days (June 30 and July 1) will be dedicated to official duties, while the remainder will be spent on private leisure.

“Two of these days, June 30 and July 1, will be dedicated to an official visit, with the remainder of the trip set aside as a personal vacation for the president,” the prime minister said.

This planned getaway comes at a moment of national mourning and urgent crisis. A brutal attack in Yelewata, Benue State, recently claimed the lives of at least 200 people. The victims, many of whom were already displaced by earlier violence, were killed as armed Fulani herdsmen stormed their village at night, opening fire and burning homes while they slept. Despite condemning the “senseless bloodletting,” President Tinubu has effectively deferred responsibility to the state governor, a striking contradiction to the swift and heavy-handed response he employed in suspending democratic structures in Rivers State over one pipeline bombing. His selectivity in responding to crises raises serious concerns about his leadership priorities.

This is not an isolated case. President Tinubu has developed a troubling pattern of leaving the country during periods of national distress, choosing foreign engagements and leisure over addressing pressing domestic issues. In April 2025, both Tinubu and Vice President Shettima were out of the country simultaneously: Tinubu was in France on a two-week “working leave,” while Shettima attended celebrations in Senegal. In their absence, rural violence in northern Nigeria intensified, killing over 150 people and displacing thousands in Benue and Plateau states. Opposition leaders decried the dual absence as an egregious dereliction of duty, with former Senate President Adolphus Wabara calling it “the worst instance of executive misbehavior” in Nigeria’s recent history.

This trip to Saint Lucia merely extends a disturbing trend. Since taking office, Tinubu has spent an excessive amount of time abroad, particularly in France, which increasingly appears to function as a second capital. In just under two years, Tinubu has made multiple visits to France. In June 202, he attended a Finance summit in Paris, followed by a stop in London. In February 2024, he embarked on a Private trip reportedly stopping for medical checkups at the American Hospital of Paris. He made another trip to Paris in August 2024 in a new presidential jet, and in November 2024, he went to sign infrastructure and food security deals. In 2025 alone, President Tinubu has spent more than a month in France

And it doesn’t end there. From late April to early May 2024, Tinubu traveled to London, Saudi Arabia, and the Netherlands for a series of international engagements, including the World Economic Forum, and during this time, Nigerians were grappling with an acute fuel crisis, deepening economic hardship, and mounting protests. The administration’s absence drew intense criticism from both civil society and political opposition figures like Peter Obi, who highlighted the disconnect between the country’s leadership and the people’s suffering.

To be clear: while international diplomacy and economic engagement are crucial, they must not become an excuse for habitual absenteeism. Granted, Tinubu was officially invited to St. Lucia; he may indeed choose to honor that invitation, but given the gravity of the security situation at home, the responsible course of action would be to attend the official events swiftly and return to Nigeria immediately. Anything less would reinforce the growing perception that the President is increasingly aloof from the everyday realities Nigerians face.

In moments of crisis, leadership is measured not by how often a president travels abroad, but by how firmly he stands with his people. President Tinubu must ask himself whether he wants to be remembered as a statesman who governed from the frontlines or as a distant figure who ruled from abroad.