Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his decision to spend three weeks in Europe while the country faces economic hardship and insecurity.
Atiku, in a statement posted on his official X account on Monday, said Nigeria may not be experiencing a constitutional vacuum but is facing what he described as a “disturbing vacuum of political leadership”.
The ADC candidate said there was a difference between the travels of a private citizen and those of a sitting president, particularly at a time when Nigerians were struggling with rising living costs and insecurity.
‘Nigeria Is Burning’
Atiku said petrol prices, food costs, transport fares and insecurity had placed Nigerians under severe pressure, questioning the decision of the President to travel abroad for an extended period.
“Consider what Bola Tinubu is leaving behind. Petrol is priced beyond the reach of ordinary people. Families rationing food. Transport fares that have turned a journey to one’s own village into a luxury,” he said.
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He added that insecurity continued to claim lives across the country while the president had “packed his bags for three weeks in Europe.”
‘Leadership Is Knowing When Your Country Needs You’
Atiku also noted that Vice-President Kashim Shettima was abroad on official duty, saying the development made Tinubu’s decision to travel even more difficult to understand.
“Leadership is not merely the constitutional right to occupy an office; it is the judgement to know when your country needs you at home,” he said.
Using a family analogy, the former vice-president said a father could travel when everything was fine but would not leave when his family was trapped inside a burning house.
“A father may travel when all is well. But when his roof is burning and his family is trapped inside, he does not pick up his suitcase and head for the airport,” Atiku said.
‘Tinubu Chose a Boarding Pass’
Atiku said his criticism was not based on the belief that a president should never travel or take a break, but on the timing of Tinubu’s trip amid the challenges confronting the country.
“It is that Nigeria is burning, and the President has chosen a boarding pass over the fire extinguisher,” he said.
He further accused the administration of failing to adequately respond to the hardship facing millions of Nigerians.
“Millions of Nigerians are being grounded by hardship while their president is airborne. The people can barely afford to move, but the President keeps moving,” he said.
‘I Will Make Nigeria Affordable Again’
Atiku said a government that could not identify with the difficulties faced by citizens would lack the determination to address them.
“A government that cannot feel the pain it inflicts will never summon the will to end it,” he said.
The former vice-president concluded by contrasting his political agenda with Tinubu’s administration, saying, “Tinubu made Nigeria expensive. I will make Nigeria affordable again,” he added.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.