The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised fresh concerns over what it described as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “mysterious absence” following his attendance at the 2025 BRICS summit in Brazil.
According to the party, President Tinubu left public view after the summit concluded in Rio de Janeiro and did not resurface in Nigeria until the early hours of Sunday, five days later with no official communication on his whereabouts.
In a statement issued on Sunday, ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the presidency owes Nigerians an explanation.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must come clean about where he has been since the BRICS summit ended,” the statement read.
“He vanished from public view on July 7th, the day the summit wrapped up, and only reappeared quietly in Abuja five days later. No updates, no official briefings—just silence.”
Abdullahi argued that during those missing days, other world leaders who attended the summit had already returned home, resumed national duties, and addressed their citizens.
“But our President remained absent,” he said. “He didn’t address Nigerians, didn’t give updates on the outcomes of the summit, and didn’t even explain the reason for his delay.”
The ADC further claimed that this is not an isolated case, pointing to what it says is a troubling trend of the president’s unexplained trips and absences.
“This lack of transparency has become a worrying pattern,” Abdullahi added. “We saw it in January 2024, when what was initially called a ‘private visit’ to France turned into a two-week disappearance—no photos, no press statements, no updates.”
“In every case, there was no formal communication with Nigerians. No transmission of power to the Vice President, no letters to the National Assembly—just a vacuum,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC emphasized that unexplained absences at such a critical time—when the country is grappling with widespread insecurity and economic hardship—only deepen public anxiety.
“A country in crisis cannot afford a president who disappears without notice,” the statement warned.
“It sends the wrong message. Leadership requires presence, and more importantly, accountability.”
The party accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of treating Nigerians with disdain by offering no credible explanations.
“When leaders go off the radar without accountability, it chips away at public trust,” Abdullahi said.
“The ruling party’s repeated excuses insult the intelligence of Nigerians. We demand transparency—not cover-ups.”
The presidency has yet to respond to the ADC’s concerns as of press time.
