Paul Ibe, an aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has said the Presidency's latest defence of President Bola Tinubu’s prolonged stay in France raises more questions than answers.

In a statement, he said the issue is not whether he is “hale and hearty,” but why he remains abroad beyond the three-week vacation the Presidency announced on August 30.

When that period expired, the Presidency said the vacation had been extended “by a few days” and that he would return at the weekend.

According to Atiku's aide, calling it a “working vacation” is not enough, adding that Nigerians deserve to know what official business requires his continued stay and what tangible benefits have resulted.

He said, "The much-touted $7 billion Ogun deep-seaport deal does not fully answer that question. The agreement was between the Ogun State Government and DP World, with Tinubu witnessing the signing.

"Comparisons with South Africa and Egypt are also misplaced. Their presidents’ absences were publicly explained and formally accounted for.

"Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron, who hosted Tinubu at the Élysée Palace, travelled to New York for UNGA and returned while Tinubu remained in France on housekeeping duties. Nigeria, not France needs your housekeeping.

"The Presidency should publish Tinubu’s substantive engagements and their outcomes. Nigerians can then judge whether this prolonged absence is justified."

ASA