Nigeria Is Burning — Atiku Questions Tinubu’s Three-Week Absence

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his decision to spend three weeks in Europe, describing the development as evidence of a “disturbing vacuum of political leadership” in Nigeria.

Atiku, in a statement on Sunday, acknowledged that Nigeria was not currently facing a constitutional vacuum but argued that the country was experiencing a leadership deficit at a time of severe economic and security challenges.

He said his own travels and time spent abroad should not be compared with the responsibilities of a sitting President, who, according to him, should remain accessible and responsive to the needs of Nigerians during difficult periods.

Atiku cited rising petrol prices, food shortages, high transportation costs and worsening insecurity as some of the challenges confronting citizens.

“Consider what Bola Tinubu is leaving behind. Petrol 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. Insecurity that buries Nigerians week after week,” he said.

He questioned the decision by Tinubu to embark on a three-week trip to Europe while the country continues to grapple with economic hardship and security concerns.

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Atiku also noted that Vice President Kashim Shettima was currently abroad on official duty, arguing that the situation made the President’s absence from the country even more difficult to justify.

“Leadership is not merely the constitutional right to occupy an office; it is the judgment to know when your country needs you at home,” he said.

Using an analogy, the former vice president likened the President’s absence to that of a father leaving home while his family is trapped in 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.

He maintained that his criticism was not about a president taking time to rest or travelling abroad, but about the timing of Tinubu’s trip amid the hardship being experienced by millions of Nigerians.

“It is that Nigeria is burning, and the President has chosen a boarding pass over the fire extinguisher,” he added.

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Atiku further accused the Tinubu administration of failing to adequately appreciate the hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians.

“A government that cannot feel the pain it inflicts will never summon the will to end it,” he said.

He concluded by contrasting his economic vision with that of the Tinubu administration, declaring: “Tinubu made Nigeria expensive. I will make Nigeria affordable again.”