President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has suspended his scheduled trip to South Africa for the G-20 Summit as he awaits a comprehensive briefing from Vice President Kashim Shettima, who is currently in Kebbi State on an assessment visit.
Presidency sources confirmed on Wednesday that the President opted to await first-hand updates from the Vice President before travelling to the high-level international forum.
Shettima is in Kebbi to review ongoing federal government interventions, engage local leaders, and assess the security and socio-economic situation in the state.
According to a senior aide of the President who spoke to The Nation on the matter, President Tinubu is prioritising domestic developments requiring urgent attention.
The briefing from the Vice President is expected to guide next steps in the administration’s response to unfolding issues in the North-West.
“Yes, the President has decided to delay his trip to the G20 event in South Africa. There’s no hush-hush about it, he’s giving serious national issues the required attention, and the unfortunate event in Kebbi, and other incidents in other parts, are not left out of his attention”, the source said.
The Presidency had on Tuesday evening announced plans for President Tinubu to embark on a two-nation engagement to South Africa and Angola for the G20 Leaders’ Summit and the AU-EU Summit, respectively.
According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on Tuesday, President Tinubu was scheduled to leave for South Africa today.