President Bola Tinubu embarks on a private trip to Paris, set to return in early February. The departure of President Bola Tinubu for a private visit to Paris, France, has been confirmed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.

The president is expected to be back in the country in the first week of February 2024. This comes on the heels of a bilateral meeting between President Tinubu and the American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, held on Tuesday night at the Presidential Villa Abuja.

This marks President Tinubu's third visit to France since assuming office eight months ago. His most recent international trip was to attend the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, UAE, last December.

However, the president's private visit has sparked reactions from major opposition parties, including the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party. The PDP's Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, expressed concern over the trip's timing, citing the nation's prevailing insecurity and economic challenges.

Meanwhile, Yunusa Tanko, spokesman for the Labour Party in the 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, raised suspicions of a hidden agenda behind the trip, hinting at the possibility of the President being unwell. The demand for an explanation adds a layer of scrutiny to President Tinubu's overseas visit amid pressing national issues.