How President Tinubu Flouted His Own Travel Rules, Exceeded Delegation Limits in Imo State Visit

President Bola Tinubu, who recently championed a directive to trim entourage sizes during official travels, faced scrutiny when over 50 individuals accompanied him to Imo State on Monday for an inauguration event, violating his own stipulations.

Last Tuesday, President Tinubu unveiled cost-cutting measures, limiting local travel delegations to 25 and international ones to 20. The move aimed to address public concerns over extravagant spending, prompted by Nigeria’s 1,411-member delegation to the COP 28 conference in Dubai.

Despite the initial praise for the policy, Tinubu’s Imo State visit showcased a departure from his own guidelines. The President’s delegation included family members, aides, and several officials, surpassing the specified limits.

Notably, Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu, his senior special assistant Aderemi Damilotun, principal secretary Hakeem Muri-Okunola, and others were part of the group that accompanied him on the presidential aircraft to Owerri. Additionally, an advance party of at least 30 people traveled separately ahead of the President’s arrival.

Critics argue that this breach raises questions about the sincerity of the cost-cutting initiative. Efforts to obtain comments from Presidential spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.