As Vice President Kashim Shettima boarded the presidential jet in Abuja this week, bound for the inauguration of President-elect Mamadi Doumbouya in Guinea-Conakry and the prestigious World Economic Forum in Davos, a familiar and unsettling question began to ripple through the Nigerian consciousness: Where is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu?
While official statements confirm that the Vice President is “representing” the President in these critical regional and global engagements, the physical absence of the Commander-in-Chief from the domestic and international stage has become too prominent to ignore. For a nation grappling with a cost-of-living crisis and persistent security challenges, the “representation” model of governance is beginning to feel like a presidency by proxy.
The timing of this “Missing in Action” status is particularly poignant. On January 15, Nigeria observed the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day. This is not merely a ceremonial date; it is a solemn national moment meant to honor those who paid the supreme sacrifice for the country’s unity.
Traditionally, the President and Commander-in-Chief leads the wreath-laying ceremony at the National Arcade.
This year, however, the podium was occupied by Vice President Shettima. While the VP is a capable deputy, the optics of a President absent during a tribute to the military, at a time when soldiers are on the frontlines against insurgency, sends a troubling message. Critics, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), have described this absence as a “troubling display of weak leadership,” arguing that the moral presence of the leader is not optional.
The Presidency has maintained that President Tinubu is active abroad. Media handlers have shared images and statements regarding his arrival in Abu Dhabi for the Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2026 and his subsequent meetings with UAE officials. Yet, a skeptical public is asking a deeper question: Has anyone seen a current video of the President?
In an era of deepfakes and staged photography, Nigerians are increasingly wary of static images shared via official social media handles.
Where are the clips of the President delivering his “National Statement” in Abu Dhabi? Where is the raw footage of his interactions with global leaders like UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan?
Aside from highly curated, silent clips or recycled footage, there is a noticeable lack of real-time, high-definition video evidence of the President engaging in the vigorous diplomatic activity his aides describe. For a citizenry that deserves transparency, “Photo-Ops” are no longer a substitute for “Presence.”
The Office of the President is not a private enterprise; it is a public trust. As citizens, Nigerians deserve to know the whereabouts and the health status of their leader. The pattern of departing for “end-of-year breaks” in Europe that morph into extended stays in the Middle East, while the Vice President handles the heavy lifting in Guinea and Davos, creates a vacuum of leadership.
If the President is in Abu Dhabi focusing on “The Nexus of Next,” why is he not visible to the people he leads? If he is fit and working, why the reliance on the Vice President for nearly every major international summit this month?
The “Renewed Hope” agenda cannot be driven from the shadows. As Vice President Shettima advances Nigeria’s interests in Switzerland, the Nigerian people are left looking at an empty seat in Abuja, wondering when their President will truly return to action.
Comrade Godwin Anyebe is a Journalist and a Rights Activist.
