Human rights activist and political commentator Omoyele Sowore has questioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s activities in France and his reported absence from the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), alleging that the President is receiving medical treatment rather than being on vacation.
Sowore made the claims in a post on X, where he criticised what he described as secrecy surrounding the President’s overseas trip and accused political associates of failing to question the situation.
“There is something inherently wrong with Nigeria,” Sowore wrote, alleging that Tinubu’s public appearances in Paris had been carefully managed.
He further claimed, without presenting publicly verifiable evidence in the post, that the President’s absence from the UN gathering was connected to an alleged fear of possible arrest by United States authorities over a past drug-related case.
Sowore also alleged that Tinubu was receiving treatment in France and would be presented as returning from an ordinary vacation.
The Presidency has described Tinubu’s European trip as a working vacation.
According to a report by TheNigerianLawyer, the President was expected to spend part of his annual leave in Europe, while Vice President Kashim Shettima was designated to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the UN General Assembly in New York.
The Presidency’s announcement of Shettima’s role does not, by itself, establish the reason for Tinubu’s absence.
Sowore’s suggestion that the President avoided the United States because of a possible arrest remains unsubstantiated in the material cited in his post.
The historical US forfeiture matter involving Tinubu has been the subject of public debate, but it should not be described as a criminal conviction without supporting legal evidence.
No evidence was provided in Sowore’s post establishing that US authorities currently have an arrest warrant for Tinubu or that attending the UN General Assembly would have resulted in his arrest.
Sowore compared the situation with past controversies surrounding overseas medical trips by former Nigerian presidents, including Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Muhammadu Buhari.
He argued that Nigerians should not be expected to accept official accounts without transparency, calling for the country to move beyond what he described as a culture of secrecy and managed public appearances.
The activist’s comments have renewed debate over presidential travel, public disclosure and accountability.
However, his assertions about Tinubu’s health and the alleged reason for his absence from the UN meeting remain allegations and have not been independently established.
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