Tinubu begins three-week annual leave in Europe as 2027 campaigns heat up
By Aboki Forex —
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has departed Abuja for Europe to begin a three-week annual leave, the Presidency announced on Sunday, August 30, 2026. The trip comes just days after the official start of campaign activities for Nigeria's 2027 general elections.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, confirmed the departure in a statement. He said Tinubu's first stop will be London, United Kingdom, but did not disclose a full itinerary or whether the President would visit other European countries during the vacation.
Sudden announcement
The announcement took many by surprise, as there had been no prior communication from the administration about a scheduled annual leave. Onanuga said in the statement: "President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja today for Europe to begin a three-week vacation as part of his annual leave."
The Presidency described the trip as a working vacation. Onanuga added: "President Tinubu is expected to return home after the working vacation to join the hectic campaign for the January 2027 election."
Election timing
The President's leave comes at a sensitive political moment. The Independent National Electoral Commission's revised timetable fixes the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, with governorship and State House of Assembly elections set for February 6, 2027.
The campaign period for presidential and National Assembly elections officially began on August 19, 2026, putting parties and candidates into the active phase of the election cycle. Tinubu is seeking a second term under the All Progressives Congress.
Previous vacations
This is Tinubu's first major annual leave of 2026. His previous annual leave was in 2025, when he left Abuja on September 4 for a 10-working-day vacation in Europe, splitting time between France and the United Kingdom.
That trip was cut short. The Presidency announced on September 15, 2025, that Tinubu had concluded the working vacation ahead of schedule and would return to Abuja the following day.
Tinubu also spent part of the end-of-year holiday in Europe in December 2025 before travelling to Abu Dhabi in January 2026 for the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week summit. In October 2024, he took a two-week annual leave in the United Kingdom, during which the Presidency said he used the time to reflect on his administration's economic reforms and hold consultations.
Onanuga said Tinubu will return to Nigeria after his three-week vacation to resume official engagements and participate in activities surrounding the forthcoming election. The full schedule of his Europe trip has not been made public.