Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, has debunked speculations on social media that the Nigerian leader is in France for medical reasons.
Speaking on Sunday Politics, a Channels Television programme, Bwala described the rumours as unfounded and the product of misinformation spread by unverifiable sources.
“Sometimes on social media, someone you don’t even know will tweet something and it spreads. It could be someone struggling with mental health somewhere. That doesn’t make it true,” he said.
He clarified that President Tinubu is in Paris on a scheduled working visit, not to consult a doctor as claimed by some online commentators.
“The president did not go to see a doctor; he’s on a working visit, and we have been publishing his activities,” Bwala stated.
President Tinubu departed Nigeria on April 2, 2025, for Paris, France, a trip officially described by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga as a short working retreat. A video released by the Presidency showed Tinubu exchanging pleasantries with senior government officials at the airport before boarding the presidential jet.
According to Onanuga, the Paris retreat offers the president an opportunity to assess the progress of his administration’s ongoing reforms and to fine-tune strategies in preparation for his second year in office.
The president is expected to return to Nigeria on April 16, 2025.
© Ripples Nigeria