Tinubu’s long-distance relationship with Nigerians, By Stephen Angbulu

PUNCH

Last Thursday afternoon, footage from the State House showed President Bola Tinubu walking into his office and taking his seat.

It was proof of life; the first moving image of the President Nigerians had seen since he returned from his two-week trip.

The short journey from his residence to the office was under the watchful eyes of the 14 top aides. These included his Chief of Staff, State Chief of Protocol, Presidential Liaison Officer, security operatives, and the National Security Adviser.

Before sitting down, Tinubu reached across his desk to move a piece of paper closer to himself. The gesture gave off that feeling of resuming office after an extended Christmas and New Year break.

You wished the break didn’t end so soon, but your employers had set a resumption date you should not exceed, or there will be consequences.

Similarly, in a family setting, children might start questioning their mother about their father’s prolonged absence, especially if he has neither called home nor Facetimed them since leaving.

For Tinubu, that consequence of his absence was a barrage of questions from Nigerians: where is our President? Who is in charge? Are we running on autopilot?

The questions grew louder when Vice President Kashim Shettima, who had been managing affairs back home, departed for the US. He eventually cancelled the trip due to technical issues with his aircraft.

Initially, when the presidency announced President Tinubu’s two-nation tour to The Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, citizens treated it as a routine trip, especially since he had previously undertaken 18 international trips, documented with photos and statements.

However, following the visit to Saudi Arabia, the President’s whereabouts became a topic of speculation – a sort of hide-and-seek – as his location became the subject of speculation.

On social media, the CEO of BudgIT, Olúṣeun Onígbindé, expressed his concern, stating, “It’s not okay to normalise the disappearance of the President after attending international events. He is a person of interest to the public. The President will spend an initial ten days in Paris for xyz…’ It’s a simple statement of accountability required for the office.”

Another user with the handle, @OfficialPaulIbe, said, “The whereabouts of the Nigerian President must never be a subject of speculation. If Tinubu is in France for medicals as reported or elsewhere, Nigerians deserve to know. After all, he is our property and is spending state resources.”

“The feeling of déjà vu between Buhari and Tinubu is much. This is how Buhari will just disappear and we’ll all be tweeting Buhari, where are you?” @WharleyEtAll stated.

One user hilariously claimed to have spotted the President “at Ijebu Igbo (Ogun State) eating roasted corn by the roadside” while another mused, “I wish I could leave my work and travel for weeks without my employers knowing where I am, then come back anytime I like”.