Tinubu Leaves for Makkah: Umrah Trip Draws Criticism

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday October 29, 2026 departed for Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform the Umrah, the lesser Hajj, his second in three years.

In a statement made available by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, on Wednesday October 28, 2026, President Tinubu would depart the next day to Makkah to perform the Umrah at the Holy City. This pilgrimage will last for a week.

“The visit gives the President an opportunity for spiritual reflection, devotion and prayers for Nigeria’s peace, unity, stability and continued progress. While in Makkah, President Tinubu will perform the religious rites associated with Umrah, seeking Allah’s guidance and blessings for Nigeria and its people” Onanuga said in the statement.  

Before his departure, President Tinubu commissioned five new helicopters acquired by the Nigerian Air force (NAF) and inaugurated the newly constructed Presidential Air Fleet Hangar at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The two Airbus H-125 helicopters and three Agusta 109 Trekker B helicopters were inducted into the NAF to bolster their operational capacity in combating insecurity in the country.

Speaking briefly after he completed the lesser Hajj in the Holy City, President Tinubu expressed his happiness in completing the spiritual exercise.

“I feel good and fulfilled because it is a spiritual thing for me. We prayed for our nation, we prayed for everyone to be well and live in harmony, happiness and faith in God” he said.

This comes barely a month after President Tinubu returned after a working holiday in Europe that lasted a month. The holiday initially planned for three weeks was extended by a week with the President visiting London and France while being absent from the UN General Assembly in New York.

The President’s recent foreign travels have faced stiff opposition from many quarters.

His one month absence in September fueled speculations about his health which were brushed off by the President and his spokesmen. This recent absence has been noted as an abscondment from his duties. During the inauguration of his party’s Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja earlier this month, President Tinubu claimed that his intention to limit his campaign trail to just 12 out of Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT, Abuja was for him to focus on governance, meet financial obligations and attract foreign investment.  

“Nigeria needs more attention now than ever before. The responsibility of this office does not pause. The job must go on,” Tinubu said. “We have bills to pay. The American creditors cannot wait. We want those investors to come in, be here to stay, to invest for the future of our children.”

The presidents trip to Makkah, does not reflect his enthusiasm to focus on pertinent issues in the country. This trip is his 4th foreign trip of the year and his 53rd since May 29, 2023.