Why Tinubu Is Returning To Makkah, Presidential Aide Explains
Presidential aide Oluwasegun Dada has explained President Bola Tinubu’s planned visit to Saudi Arabia, insisting that the trip is for the lesser Hajj and prayers for Nigeria rather than medical treatment.
Dada, who serves as Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, made the clarification on Thursday while responding to comments by Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Sowore had urged Nigerians to “pray for Tinubu”, drawing a comparison between the President’s planned journey and former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s travels to Germany for medical treatment before visiting Saudi Arabia.
In his response, Dada said Tinubu had visited Makkah twice in 2022 to perform Umrah, first in April before the APC presidential primary and again in late December ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
The presidential aide claimed that the President’s prayers were answered during both visits, arguing that seeking divine guidance before major undertakings was a familiar religious practice.
This is not new. It is a regular practice among Muslims when they want to embark on any critical journey or attain a milestone,” he said.
Dada also pointed to Tinubu’s recent official engagements, including a campaign event in Kaduna, meetings with former African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina and Nigerian Tourism Development Authority Director-General Ola Awakan, and a Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by the President.
According to the aide, the engagements showed that Tinubu had several official responsibilities to attend to, contrary to suggestions that his planned trip was for health reasons.
“Mr Sowore, a ‘sick person’ would not have this many itineraries to accomplish,” Dada said.
He further insisted that the President was in good health, adding: “Mr President is fit as a fiddle, and no evil, as you are wishing for, will befall the People’s President.”
The comments come amid public discussion about the purpose of Tinubu’s planned Saudi Arabia visit. Dada’s defence reflects the administration aide’s account, while the article provides no independent medical evidence to verify claims about the President’s health.
