TD A video circulating on social media shows Northern cleric Sheikh Sunusi Khalil questioning the circumstances surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s prolonged stay outside Nigeria.
Sheikh Khalil made the remarks amid growing public debate over the President’s extended working vacation in Europe.
The video was shared on September 25, 2026, by the X account @Arewa_Source, in a post critical of individuals campaigning for Tinubu.
Meanwhile, according to the post, questions remain about the President’s whereabouts and activities abroad.
The approximately 2-minute, 24-second video shows the elderly cleric, dressed in white traditional attire and a white cap.
The cleric could be seen speaking at a lectern in an indoor gathering.
He gestured repeatedly and speaks with visible emphasis while making what appears to be a broader point about leadership and accountability.
However, the exact occasion, date and full context of the recording could not be independently established from the material circulating online.
Tinubu’s Extended European Stay
Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30, 2026, for London, where the Presidency said he began a working vacation.
After about a week in the United Kingdom, he travelled to Paris, France.
The Presidency subsequently announced that the President had extended his working vacation by several days.
Consequently, he is now expected to return to Nigeria at the weekend.
According to the Presidency, Tinubu remained in contact with developments in Nigeria and continued to direct government affairs while abroad.
During his stay in Paris, Tinubu held meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré.
The State House said his September 18 meeting with Bolloré focused on expanded investment in Nigeria’s creative and digital economy, including film, entertainment and fibre-optic infrastructure.
Growing Debate Over Presidential Absence
The President’s prolonged absence has nevertheless generated political and legal debate.
On September 24, members of the House of Representatives under the Save Democracy Group called for the National Assembly to reconvene.
They raised questions surrounding Tinubu’s continued absence and the constitutional provisions governing a President’s absence from the country.
Former National Human Rights Commission chairman, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, has also criticised the extended stay.
Professor Odinkalu argued that Nigeria should not be governed indefinitely from abroad.
His comments were made in response to Tinubu’s absence and the Presidency’s position that the President continued directing government affairs remotely.
The controversy has also coincided with Tinubu’s absence from the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria for the third consecutive time.
What the Video Shows
The circulating footage of Sheikh Sunusi Khalil adds another voice to the wider public discussion over presidential accountability and Tinubu’s extended stay abroad.
While the video clearly shows the cleric speaking passionately, the context of his remarks cannot be fully transcribed or translated at the moment of this publication.
Consequently, claims about precisely what prompted his remarks, full interpretations and context are yet to be established.
The debate over Tinubu’s whereabouts is expected to continue until his announced return to Nigeria.
In the meantime, questions persist over the constitutional and political implications of an extended presidential absence.
