President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has departed Abuja for Europe to begin a three-week annual vacation, as political activities intensify ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The President’s departure was announced on Sunday, August 30, 2026, by Bayo Onanuga, his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.
Onanuga said Tinubu would spend three weeks in Europe as part of his annual leave before returning to Nigeria to resume official engagements and participate in activities leading up to the 2027 elections.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja today for Europe to begin a three-week vacation as part of his annual leave,” Onanuga said.
According to the Presidency, London, United Kingdom, will be the President’s first destination, although details of his full itinerary were not disclosed.
The Presidency described the trip as a vacation and working period, with Tinubu expected to return to Nigeria after the three-week break.
“President Tinubu is expected to return home after the working vacation to join the hectic campaign for the January 2027 election,” Onanuga said.
Tinubu’s departure comes at a politically significant time, with parties and candidates already preparing for the 2027 general elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State House of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
The campaign period for the presidential and National Assembly elections officially commenced on August 19, 2026.
Tinubu, who is seeking a second term on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, is expected to return to an increasingly active political environment as the election approaches.
The President’s latest vacation is his first major annual leave of 2026. In September 2025, he travelled to Europe for a 10-working-day annual vacation, during which he visited France and the United Kingdom. That trip was subsequently cut short, with the Presidency announcing his return to Abuja ahead of schedule.
Tinubu also spent part of the December 2025 holiday period in Europe before travelling to Abu Dhabi in January 2026 to attend Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
Earlier in his administration, the President took a two-week annual leave in the United Kingdom in October 2024. The Presidency said at the time that he used the period to reflect on his administration’s economic reforms and hold consultations.
The latest three-week break is expected to temporarily take the President away from Abuja as his administration continues to implement its economic reform agenda and prepare for the next phase of the political cycle.
Tinubu’s return to Nigeria will coincide with an increasingly intense campaign season, with political parties expected to step up mobilisation, coalition-building and voter engagement ahead of the January 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.
