TINUBU RETURNS AFTER 34 DAYS AND DISMISSES THE SICK- MEDICAL RUMORS [GRAPHICS]

Tinubu arrives at the airport with wife and his entourage

President-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu returned to Nigeria on Monday following a 34-day vacation in Paris, France.

Tinubu landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 4.40 p.m., accompanied by his wife, Remi, and son, Seyi, to a thunderous greeting from All Progressives Congress governors, National Assembly leaders, and scores of party members.

The ex-Lagos State governor left the country on March 21, just weeks after being declared the presidential election winner.

Tinubu's media adviser, Tunde Rahman, said the vacation will let him to recover and arrange his transition program ahead of his inauguration on May 29.

On Monday, President-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu returned to Nigeria after a 34-day vacation in Paris, France.

Tinubu arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport with his wife, Remi, and son, Seyi, to a loud welcome from All Progressives Congress governors, National Assembly leaders, and scores of party members.

On March 21, the ex-Lagos State governor departed the country, barely weeks after being declared the presidential election winner.

Tinubu was greeted at the airport by Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima; House of Representatives former Borno State Governor, Ali Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila; Governors Simon Lalong (Plateau); Abubakar Sani-Bello (Niger); and Modu Sheriff.

Others were former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole; ex-Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu; APC Deputy National Chairman for North, Senator Abubakar Kyari; and Deputy National and National Woman Leader, Dr Betta Edu.

There were also a large number of Senators, including Barau Jibril, Adeola Yayi, Opeyemi Bamidele, Dayo Adeyeye, Sabi Abdullahi and Adelere Oriolowo as well as the Director of Media and Publicity in the recently-dissolved Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga.

Other supporters at the airport included Chief Olusola Oke, a former APC governorship candidate in Ondo state; Dr Ene Ogbole, a former PCC member; and renowned actor Zack Orji.

Tinubu's campaign office in the Central Business District was a hive of activity on Monday morning as hundreds of party members rushed to get accredited in advance of his arrival.

Party Supporters/loyalists 

As the accreditation of supporters and journalists began about noon, stern-looking operatives were observed manning the campaign office's admission and leave points.

Tinubu advised the raucous gathering that had accompanied him home from the airport to disregard the rumors that had circulated in the previous month that he had been whisked overseas due to claimed illness.

He departed the country on March 21 for a holiday following a rigorous campaign and season, according to him.

He said, "I am happy to be back. I have rested, I'm refreshed and I'm ready for the task ahead. Forget about what the rumour mill may have told you. I'm strong, very strong."

He also claimed that while in Paris, he was 'consulting and planning' to put together a solid team so he could hit the ground running when he took office on May 29.

The former governor also mocked his followers and party loyalists, stating, "Allow me some rest, to eat Amala and sleep." Work begins tomorrow."

Continuing, the member representing Ikeja Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives revealed that the campaign team had lost a number of unnamed supporters.

He said, "We are excited about his arrival. As you can see, everybody wanted to go to the airport to receive him. Why? Because there was a restriction at the presidential lounge. But those who had access to the place were at least happy to see him looking very refreshed and ready to actualize the 'Renewed Hope' campaign slogan.

"For me, I think that the president- elect had time to think over all the issues that we raised during the campaign and all the issues that are germane to Nigerians for the survival of this country.

"We give God the glory that he has come back to meet all of us. In between (when he travelled and returned), we lost some people and we pray that God will accept their souls.

"Remember that Asiwaju said that he has yet to finish consulting with the people. You know that he's a man of consultation. Before the primaries, he consulted. Before the election, he repeated the same thing and he is still willing to consult. You know, nobody can fault Asiwaju when it comes to consultation.

"He's not going to start telling you that I am consulting Mr this and that. I'm sure while he was there resting, he was also making consultations on issues and things that are before him that he wants to execute. I think that we should just wait until after May 29 to see how this agenda will roll out."

In a similar event, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)'s Senior Special Assistant on National Social Investment Programme, Ismaeel Ahmed, has chastised detractors who speculate about the president-elect's health.

While claiming that Buhari had the same treatment, the APC chairman insisted that there was no evidence that Tinubu was flown out in an air ambulance or placed on life support.

He said, "How often do you get a president-elect coming back to the country that people do not go to visit or welcome? I think that is the question you should be asking.

"How many presidents-elect that travelled abroad and people do not welcome them? I will give you an example. In 2015, we went out and cheerfully welcomed President Muhammadu Buhari before he was sworn in and nobody said anything.

"Now Tinubu said he was hale and hearty. Of course, he is hale and hearty and we always know that he is. I think you heard people who are high up in the campaign, for example, the minister of works and housing (Fashola) spoke on your show and also said that he had spoken to the president-elect who was fine, hale and hearty. Tinubu just needed to take some time off and take stock of what was going on.

"I cannot be responsible for people's speculation. People just speculate because there are people who are naysayers, always wanting to bring negative stories to certain situations. His health issue has always been something people talked about even in the campaign. So, I cannot be responsible for people who want to speculate on certain things that do not have a basis or fact. He is hale and hearty. You have seen him when he left. He left in a way that he didn't leave in an ambulance. There is no evidence anywhere that the man was sick. He came back hale and hearty and the party people went to receive him."

Tinubu and members of the APC National Working Committee are set to meet with lawmakers-elect ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.

The conference is being prepared against the backdrop of the race for Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives by interested hopefuls.

A New Day

On Monday, the 'New Dawn' pressure group announced its members' decision to run for House leadership.

It stated that it was profiling all candidates for the office of Speaker and other positions and would then consider offering bloc votes to its preferred candidates.

According to sources, the group is being led by newly elected members of the House and includes people from all major parties.

Marcus Onobun, a House of Representatives member-elect for Esan West, Esan Central, and Igueben federal constituencies, and Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, hosted the 'New Dawn' event.

According to a meeting notification signed by the member-elect for AMAC/Bwari federal constituency, Joshua Obika, the members met at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.

In a similar development, members-elect have stated that they will enable the APC to decide on the zoning of leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly.

The hopefuls for the Speaker positions, who spoke with our correspondent separately on Monday, emphasized the APC's superiority in this area.

The MPs, who advocated for fairness and equity in the distribution of offices and positions, stated their willingness to follow the party's recommendations on the 10th National Assembly leadership.

So far, there are more than ten candidates for Speaker of the House, many of whom have yet to officially declare their intentions.

The contenders include the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase; Majority Leader. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa; Chairman of the House Committee on Navy, Yusuf Gagdi; Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Aliyu Betara; Chairman of the House Committee on Science Research Institutes, Olaide Akinremi; Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu; and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Land Transport, Tajudeen Abbas; Chairman of the House Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Abdulraheem Olawuyi; Chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu; and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Land Transport, Tajudeen Abbas; Chairman of the House Committee on Emergency House Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Abdulraheem Olawuyi; Chairman, House Committee on Water Resources, Sada Soli; Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Makki Yalleman; and Sani Jaji.

Yusuf Gagdi, a Plateau State hopeful, criticized proposals to abolish zoning, noting how the Peoples Democratic Party zoned offices while it was in power and had a majority in both the Senate and the House.

Chairman of the Committee

Gagdi, the Chairman of the House Committee on Navy, emphasized that the party, not its members, should decide which zones get which offices.

However, the member emphasized that an aspirant from another zone could compete against candidates from the zone in which an office was given.

"At every point in time, there are aspirants that have rejected zoning. Even if a party zones (a position), those that don't want to respect zoning should go ahead and disrespect it," he stressed.

Another aspirant from Abia State, Benjamin Kalu, also backed zoning "as long as it is done without diversity insensitivity but with all national inclusion elements well factored in, to inspire and stimulate national loyalty, cohesion and non- coerced patriotism."

"The party gave us a platform to become who we are today or will become after the inauguration of the House," said Kalu, Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Publicity. They supported us throughout the primaries because they wanted to work with us as a team to create the country."

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