Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Segun Showunmi, has dismissed concerns over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s health, saying the President is healthy and capable of serving beyond 2027.
Showunmi made the remarks on Thursday during a grassroots engagement in Ijebu-Igbo, Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State, where he was canvassing support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
His comments followed renewed public discussion about Tinubu’s health after the President was absent from the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, where Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria.
Showunmi rejected suggestions that the President’s absence from the UN gathering was evidence of ill health, describing such claims as political rumours.
“The President is in good health. The President is a sound mind,” he said.
He also referred to Tinubu’s recent return to Nigeria after an extended working vacation in Europe, during which the President spent time in London and Paris.
Tinubu, who returned to Lagos on Tuesday, had also dismissed concerns about his health, telling journalists on arrival that he was “healthy, sound, and ready to go.”
Showunmi said Nigerians should not focus exclusively on negative reports about the administration, urging them to pay attention to developments and investments he said could contribute to the country’s economic growth.
He specifically defended Tinubu’s decision not to attend the UN General Assembly, arguing that the President’s domestic engagements were also important.
The PDP chieftain cited investments linked to the administration, including the proposed Gateway Deep Seaport and Blue Marine Economic Zone in Ogun State, for which the Presidency said DP World plans to invest $7bn.
He questioned the practical significance of presidential attendance at the UN General Assembly, arguing that Nigeria remained represented through the Vice President.
“The United Nations that people talk about, they don’t probably know that the presidency is one. Anywhere you see the Vice President acting in capacity as a representative of the President, it is as good as the President standing there,” Showunmi said.
He urged Nigerians to disregard what he described as politically motivated attempts to portray the country negatively.
Showunmi has previously declared his support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, arguing that the administration should be given more time to implement its economic policies.
He therefore used the engagement to urge his supporters and residents of Ogun State to mobilise at the grassroots ahead of the 2027 election.
Showunmi’s comments on Tinubu’s health represent his personal political assessment. No independent medical assessment was provided in the reports reviewed to establish the President’s fitness for office.
The renewed discussion over Tinubu’s health comes after his four-week working vacation abroad and his decision not to attend the 81st UN General Assembly. The Presidency has said the trip was a working vacation and that Tinubu remained in contact with officials while away.
