President Tinubu Cancels South Africa, Angola Trip, Sends Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima will now lead Nigeria’s delegations to the international summits in South Africa and Angola after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu canceled his scheduled trips, senior State House officials confirmed Friday.

The officials said the decision was finalised on Friday afternoon, with Shettima already airborne to South Africa to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit on the President’s behalf.

“It is a recent arrangement. They just finalised it this afternoon,” one of the sources said.

Naija News reports that after the G20 meeting, the Vice President is expected to proceed to Angola for the AU–EU Summit, also in Tinubu’s stead.

“The trip was postponed before. But looking at the situation of things, it is better he remains in the country to deal with the issues,” another official disclosed.

Both officials requested anonymity as they were not authorised to speak publicly on the matter.

The President’s decision comes amid a string of security incidents across the country, including the abduction of schoolgirls in Maga, Kebbi State, an attack and mass abduction at a church in Eruku, Kwara State, and the Friday-morning seizure of Catholic schoolchildren in Minna, Niger State

These incidents have fuelled public anxiety and renewed calls for tougher security measures.

According to The PUNCH, sources said the President will remain in Abuja to coordinate national security efforts and receive real-time updates from service chiefs.

Tinubu has directed security agencies to intensify search-and-rescue operations and strengthen preventive deployments in vulnerable communities.

The presidency is expected to release a formal statement in the coming hours.