A VIRAL post circulating on social media claims that Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is residing permanently in France and governing the country remotely.
The claim was posted by an X user, @ReezaySA, with the caption: “Just found out that the President of Nigeria is living in France (Not on a vacation) living there and is running the country Virtually.”
As of July 22, 2026, the post has garnered over 5.9 million views, 17,000 reposts, over 274,000 likes, and thousands of comments. Because of the virality, The FactCheckHub deems it worthy of factchecking.
READ: Fact-checking Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech
CLAIM
The President of Nigeria lives in France and governs the country virtually.
FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is UNPROVEN.
Tinubu’s official residence and operational seat of power remain at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja. While social media posts suggest he lives abroad, The ICIR travel tracking data and verified news coverage confirm he resides in Nigeria and regularly conducts executive governance in person.
The ICIR foreign travel tracker shows that Tinubu has travelled to France only twice in 2026, first on January 4 and later on May 3. His other foreign trips in 2026 include visits to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on January 11; Ankara, Turkey on January 26; London, United Kingdom on March 17; Nairobi, Kenya on May 11; and Kigali, Rwanda on May 13.
Furthermore, official records show that the president has consistently presided over in-person state functions and executive meetings at the State House in Abuja.
Few of these are: on February 17, 2026, he physically attended the Gathering of National and Religious Leaders Summit on Health, organised by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) in Abuja.
ThisDay reported on April 30, 2026, that the president presided over a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Council Chambers in the State House.
More recently, on June 12, 2026, Tinubu delivered his annual Democracy Day national address from Abuja. Later that month, on June 29, 2026, Punch reported he swore in commissioners for the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and National Population Commission (NPC) before presiding over another FEC meeting.
Speaking to The FactCheckHub, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, dismissed the claim, confirming that Tinubu lives inside the Villa and is currently in the country.
READ ALSO: Old video of APC chieftain saying Tinubu can only win 2027 through rigging resurfaces online
Onanuga clarified that official announcements are always issued whenever the president travels abroad, and the absence of such notices indicates his presence at Aso Rock.
VERDICT
The claim that President Bola Tinubu lives in France and governs Nigeria virtually is UNPROVEN. There is no evidence to support the narrative. Travel-tracking data from The ICIR shows he has visited France only twice in 2026, and official documentation confirms he continues to carry out his duties in person at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Seasoned writer and literary curator, Zainab Abdulrasaq is a factchecker for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached on IG @blackbookishgirl or zabdulrasaq@icirnigeria.org
