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Former Presidential spokesperson Doyin Okupe has defended President Bola Tinubu’s two-week trip to the United Kingdom, describing it as a deliberate retreat to enable an in-depth review of his administration’s performance and structure.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Okupe responded to public criticism surrounding Tinubu’s timing, emphasising that the trip is intended to give Tinubu the needed distance from political associates.
“Personally, from my understanding of how Presidents behave in periods of national crisis, I believe the President has willfully separated himself from officials, friends, and associates to reflect and review the last 17 months and chart a new way forward for his administration,” Okupe explained.
He further argued that this temporary separation allowed Tinubu to carefully consider any changes required for his cabinet without “undue interference.”
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According to Okupe, the president’s choice to leave Nigeria at this time should be seen as a tactical move to facilitate clear thinking and effective decision-making.
Okupe’s comments come amidst a wave of public speculation, with critics questioning the timing of Tinubu’s trip. The former spokesperson, however, insists that such criticisms are “uninformed” and misinterpret the nature of the president’s absence.
The two-week trip, Okupe suggests, is not simply a holiday but an essential break that could have significant implications for Tinubu’s next steps, particularly regarding cabinet restructuring and strategic planning for Nigeria’s future.