The Obidient Movement has called on the Federal Government to disclose details of public expenditure associated with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent extended stay in France.
The group made the demand following the President’s return to Nigeria after spending several weeks in Europe as part of what the Presidency described as a working vacation.
Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for London and later travelled to Paris, France, where he held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré, according to the Presidency.
The Presidency subsequently announced that the President’s working vacation had been extended by a few days.
In its reaction, the Obidient Movement questioned the cost of the President’s prolonged stay abroad and called for transparency over funds allegedly spent on the trip.
The group reportedly asked the government to provide a breakdown covering areas such as accommodation, transportation, security, protocol and other expenses connected with the President’s foreign engagements.
The demand comes amid wider public discussions over the duration and purpose of Tinubu’s stay in France, particularly after his absence from the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria at the UNGA and delivered the country’s national statement on behalf of the President.
The Presidency has defended Tinubu’s absence, saying the President remained engaged in official duties while abroad.
In a statement issued on September 21, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu continued to direct the affairs of government during his working vacation. The Presidency cited the President’s directive for an independent investigation into the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Minna as one example of his activities while abroad.
The Presidency also said Tinubu held meetings in Paris with Macron and Bolloré, among other engagements.
The controversy over the trip intensified after opposition figures questioned why the President remained in France for an extended period while the UNGA was taking place in New York.
Paul Ibe, a media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, had separately called on the Presidency to publish details of Tinubu’s substantive engagements in Paris and the outcomes of those meetings.
Ibe argued that describing the trip as a working vacation should be accompanied by information on the President’s official activities and their outcomes.
Tinubu eventually ended his four-week stay in Europe and returned to Nigeria on September 29, according to reports. His return followed weeks of public debate over his absence from the country and the extension of his initial travel schedule.
The latest demand by the Obidient Movement has therefore added to calls from opposition figures and political groups for greater disclosure concerning the President’s foreign engagements.
The group’s demand for an expenditure breakdown remains a political call, and no independent evidence establishing the specific amount spent on the trip was identified in the reports reviewed.
As political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections continue to intensify, the President’s foreign engagements and government spending are expected to remain subjects of public and political scrutiny.
