The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued a scathing statement questioning the whereabouts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following his five-day absence after the conclusion of the 2025 BRICS Summit in Brazil. The party described the president’s conduct as “a display of contempt for accountability” and warned that such repeated unexplained disappearances are dangerous for national governance and Nigeria’s global image.
President Tinubu returned to Nigeria in the early hours of Sunday, July 13, days after the summit officially ended on Monday, July 7. While other world leaders who attended the summit promptly returned to their countries to resume work and brief their citizens, Tinubu remained out of public view without any official communication from the presidency.
In a strongly worded statement signed by ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said Nigerians deserve answers. “A whole five days is significant in the life of a country, especially a country like ours battling with several existential challenges of insecurity and a tottering economy,” the statement read.
The ADC emphasized that President Tinubu was on official duty, not a vacation, and questioned why no explanation or briefing was provided upon his return. The party also accused the administration of establishing a troubling pattern of unaccounted absences.
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Citing several similar incidents, the ADC recalled that in January 2024, President Tinubu embarked on a “private visit” to France that turned into a two-week disappearance with no photos or updates. In April 2024, after attending the World Economic Forum in Riyadh, the president was silent for nine days until he resurfaced in May. Likewise, in September 2024, he reportedly vanished for six days following engagements in China, only to appear in London without any public statement.
“These unexplained disappearances continue to stir dangerous speculation and undermine public trust in the presidency,” the statement added. “Each episode sparks unhealthy rumours that threaten Nigeria’s global perception and domestic stability.”
The ADC urged Nigerians to hold their leaders accountable and reject what it described as a ruling party that treats citizens with disdain. “A President that vanishes without accountability has no moral authority to demand sacrifice from citizens,” Abdullahi stated. “A government that consistently excuses this lack of transparency has no regard for the people it claims to govern.” the statement concludes.