Nigerian president has returned to Abuja after spending nearly three weeks in Lagos.
The Airbus A330 carrying the President and his personal aides arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 9:30 pm (local time).
The president was received by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; and other top security officials.
He returned from Accra, Ghana, where he attended the inauguration ceremony of President John Mahama earlier on Tuesday.
During his time away from Abuja, Tinubu also visited Enugu State.
On December 18, 2024, the President departed Abuja for Lagos, where he spent the Christmas and New Year holidays.
His return comes amid the Senate’s ongoing consideration of the 2025 Appropriation Bill, which he presented three weeks ago, and the contentious Tax Reforms Bill.
Speaking on Tinubu’s visit to Ghana, his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, highlighted the strong historical and personal ties between Ghana and Nigeria.
Onanuga emphasised the long-standing friendship between Tinubu and Mahama, which dates back over four decades.
He noted that Ghana gained independence first, followed by Nigeria, and this shared history has fostered cultural and economic bonds between the two nations.
“The new president [of Ghana] is the President’s friend. They have known each other for years now. Secondly, Ghana and Nigeria are like Siamese twins, and this relationship dates back decades. About four or five decades ago or more. Ghana happened to gain independence first, and Nigeria followed some three years later. The two countries have a very long-standing relationship. So many things hold us together. So [the
President was in Ghana] to continue that cordial relationship between Nigeria and Ghana. For the President, he was witnessing the swearing-in of a friend,” Onanuga stated.
He also anticipated a deepening of this relationship, citing the personal connection between Ghana’s new president and President Tinubu. He suggested that this bond would facilitate problem-solving and potentially open up new opportunities between the two countries.
“I foresee that the relationship between the two countries will deepen further, even beyond what we saw under the past leader. In this case, I can see us breaking new ground under Mahama because of the personal relationship involved. Many problems will be solved,” he explained.
