The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has officially welcomed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu back to Nigeria but insists on full disclosure regarding his unexplained five-day absence following the 2025 BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bola Abdullahi, emphasized that a leader who disappears without accountability cannot be trusted to tackle Nigeria’s critical challenges.
President Tinubu departed Abuja on June 28, 2025, embarking first on a state visit to Saint Lucia to enhance ties with Caribbean nations and promote South-South cooperation, coinciding with Saint Lucia’s 45th Independence Anniversary. Subsequently, he attended the BRICS Summit in Brazil from July 6 to 7, returning to Nigeria only in the early hours of Sunday, July 13.
The ADC expressed concern over the five-day gap after the summit’s conclusion, noting, “Since the summit ended on Monday, July 7th, all other world leaders returned home promptly, briefed their citizens, and resumed work. But our President only reappeared in Abuja early Sunday without any explanation.”
Highlighting the significance of this delay, the ADC stated, “A whole five days is significant in the life of a country, especially one grappling with insecurity and economic instability. The President was on official duty, not holiday. We demand a clear explanation.”
The party further criticized the administration’s pattern of secrecy, recalling previous instances of unexplained presidential absences, including a two-week disappearance during a “private visit” to France in January 2024 and other occasions involving prolonged silence after international engagements.
“The ADC also notes with concern that this disdain for accountability around the President’s overseas trip has become a distinct hallmark of this administration,” the statement concluded.
Okay.ng reports that the ADC insists a president who vanishes without accountability lacks the moral authority to ask citizens for sacrifices, urging transparency to restore public trust.
