Eid Break ends: Tinubu departs Lagos for Abuja

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

President Bola Tinubu returned to the Nigerian capital on Wednesday evening after a week-long stay in Lagos that included Eid-el-Fitr celebrations, meetings with nearly two dozen governors, and engagements with a European Union delegation.

The presidential aircraft departed the Presidential Wing of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, at 6:44 pm, according to a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

President Tinubu had arrived in Nigeria from the United Kingdom in the early hours of Friday, following what the presidency described as a “historic state visit.”

He subsequently participated in Eid-el-Fitr prayers held at Dodan Barracks in Lagos, marking the end of Ramadan.

During his time in Lagos, the President held a series of political and diplomatic engagements. He received 23 state governors, including Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, at his residence. The meeting was seen as part of ongoing consultations between the presidency and state executives.

A delegation from the European Union also met with the President during the Lagos visit, though details of the discussions were not disclosed.

Additionally, members of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council (GAC), a key political advisory body within the state’s ruling party structure, were received.

Vice President Kashim Shettima traveled to Lagos to brief President Tinubu on his trip to Borno State, which came in the aftermath of a recent suicide bombing in the northeast. The briefing underscored the administration’s focus on security challenges in the region.

At the departure ceremony on Wednesday, Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun and former Ogun State Governor Aremo Olusegun Osoba were present. Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, his deputy Obafemi Hamzat, senior government officials, and party stalwarts were also on hand to see off the President.

President Tinubu’s return to Abuja concludes his extended stay in Lagos, which had combined official engagements with observance of the Islamic holiday.

His state visit to the United Kingdom earlier in March was his first official trip to Britain since assuming office in 2023.