- Okupe hit out at Nigerians criticising Tinubu’s trip to the United Kingdom for a two-week holiday.
Doyin Okupe, a former aide presidential aide, has said that President Bola Tinubu’s visit to the United Kingdom (UK) will give him time to contemplate his administration’s strategies.
On October 2, the presidency disclosed Tinubu’s journey from Abuja to the UK for a two-week holiday, which coincides with his annual leave.
“Tinubu will use the two weeks as a working vacation and a retreat to reflect on his administration’s economic reforms — he will return to the country after the leave expires,” the presidency had said.
Nonetheless, numerous Nigerians have condemned the timing of the president’s leave amid the prevailing economic difficulties in the nation.
In an interview with NAN in Lagos on Thursday, Okupe criticized those opposing the president’s holiday, labeling them as “uninformed.”
He emphasized that the president requires a calm environment to evaluate his cabinet, noting that this would minimize distractions from political companions.
“I have read many uninformed criticisms of the president’s holiday trip abroad,” Okupe said.
“Personally, from my understanding of how presidents behave in periods of national crisis, I believe the president has willfully separated himself from officials, friends, and associates to reflect and review the last 17 months and chart a new way forward for his administration.
“At the same time, it is to carefully avoid undue interference from political associates in his thought process to rejig his cabinet.
“Staying anywhere in Nigeria definitely will not afford him such a peaceful and serene atmosphere to achieve his objective.”
The former presidential aide noted that Tinubu’s comeback after “this retreat” would signal a more promising future for Nigerians and provide solace and support to the populace.