Former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye has questioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s three-week European vacation, linking it to renewed developments in a US court battle over historical records concerning the President.
Melaye made the comments in a late night statement posted on his official X account on Sunday, August 30, 2026, after the Presidency announced Tinubu’s departure from Abuja for his annual leave.
According to Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, London, United Kingdom, is the President’s first destination. He said Tinubu would return after the break to participate in preparations and campaign activities ahead of the January 2027 election.
Melaye questioned whether London was Tinubu’s only destination and criticised the limited details released about the trip.
He also drew attention to a Freedom of Information Act case filed in 2023 by US transparency activist Aaron Greenspan, who is seeking historical records from American agencies concerning Tinubu.
The requests include records held by the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration relating to investigations dating to the early 1990s.
On August 28, the FBI submitted 399 pages of responsive material to US District Judge Beryl Howell for private review. The documents remain sealed and have not been released publicly.
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The FBI has opposed unrestricted disclosure, citing privacy and law-enforcement concerns. Tinubu has also challenged the release of the records.
The dispute revives an issue raised during the 2023 presidential election litigation, when Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi questioned a 1993 US civil forfeiture proceeding involving about $460,000.
The matter did not disqualify Tinubu from the presidential contest, and the Supreme Court affirmed his election on October 26, 2023.
The current FOIA case is separate from the Nigerian election litigation and concerns access to US government records. The existence of investigative files or a civil forfeiture proceeding does not, by itself, establish criminal guilt.
Melaye also questioned whether Tinubu would attend the 81st UN General Assembly, which formally opens on September 8, 2026, with the high-level debate beginning on September 22.
The Presidency has not linked the vacation to the US case or confirmed Tinubu’s attendance at the UN gathering.
Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria after his three-week leave and resume official and political engagements ahead of the January 2027 election.