Former presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, has stirred fresh controversy with claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is unwell and travelling abroad primarily to manage his health.
Sowore made the assertion on Sunday while commenting on the President’s sudden departure from Nigeria to Europe, shortly after spending the Christmas and New Year holidays in Lagos State.
President Tinubu’s spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga, had earlier explained that the President travelled for a combination of engagements, including an official visit to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. According to the statement, Tinubu is expected to attend the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit at the invitation of the UAE President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
However, reacting via a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sowore alleged that the trip was health-driven. He further claimed that Senate President Godswill Akpabio was gravely ill, a statement that has not been independently verified.
“Nigeria’s Bola Ahmed Tinubu is unwell, just managing himself, which is the reason he has abruptly flown to Europe,” Sowore wrote. “@Senator_Akpabio is practically dying. Why is Nigeria governed by sick people?”
He added that while illness itself should not be stigmatised, it was irresponsible, in his view, for leaders to rely on state resources for personal medical care abroad.
“And whereas nothing is wrong with illnesses, it is callous to use a country as health insurance for sick leaders,” Sowore stated.
Neither the Presidency nor the office of the Senate President has responded directly to Sowore’s claims as of the time of filing this report. The Federal Government has consistently maintained that the President is fit and fully in charge of state affairs, even while on foreign trips.
The comments have nonetheless reignited public debate over transparency in governance, leadership fitness and the long-standing issue of public officials seeking medical treatment overseas, despite the fragile state of Nigeria’s healthcare system.
