By Olatunbosun Obafemi
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised concerns over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s continued pattern of unannounced absences, demanding that the presidency provide a clear explanation for his whereabouts in the five days following the conclusion of the 2025 BRICS Summit in Brazil.
President Tinubu, who attended the BRICS gathering in Rio de Janeiro, was not seen in public or heard from after the summit concluded on Monday, July 7. He only resurfaced in Abuja in the early hours of Sunday, July 13, without any official statement or press briefing explaining the delay in his return.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Sunday, the ADC described the president’s unexplained absence as “a clear sign of disdain for accountability” and “a dangerous pattern” that undermines public trust.
“Since the summit ended on Monday, July 7th, all other world leaders who attended returned home, briefed their citizens, and resumed work,” the ADC said. “But our president reappeared five days later, in silence, without a word to Nigerians who deserve to know where he was and why.”
The opposition party noted that such prolonged absences are significant, particularly at a time when the country is grappling with a range of critical challenges—from rising insecurity to an economy under strain.
“A whole five days is significant in the life of a country, especially one battling several existential challenges,” the statement read. “The president was not on holiday. He was on official duty. We therefore cannot wish those five days away, and we demand a clear explanation.”
The ADC also accused the Tinubu administration of routinely shrouding the president’s overseas movements in secrecy. It cited at least four similar incidents since early 2024, including a two-week disappearance following a private trip to France in January, a nine-day silence after attending the World Economic Forum in Riyadh in April, and a six-day gap between his China engagement in September and a surprise appearance in London.
“Each episode of Mr. President’s mysterious disappearances has sparked all manners of speculations and rumours that are not only unhealthy to the polity, but also endanger Nigeria’s perception in the eyes of the world,” the ADC warned.
The party urged Nigerians to demand transparency and accountability, warning that a leader who repeatedly vanishes without explanation “cannot be trusted to be present to solve the crises we face.”
“A president that disappears without accountability has no moral authority to demand sacrifice from citizens,” the statement concluded. “And a ruling party that makes excuses for these serial disappearances has nothing but contempt for the people it governs.”
As of the time of this report, the presidency has yet to respond to the ADC’s statement or provide official clarification on the president’s five-day absence.
