Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has launched a blistering attack on President Bola Tinubu's decision to embark on a three-week vacation in Europe, describing the timing as a "disturbing vacuum of political leadership" while Nigeria battles economic hardship and escalating insecurity. Atiku, in a statement posted on his social media handles on Sunday, August 30, 2026, acknowledged that there was "no constitutional vacuum" but argued that the circumstances surrounding the President's trip raised serious questions about his leadership priorities.
The ADC presidential candidate drew a sharp contrast between the responsibilities of a sitting president and those of a private citizen. "I have travelled, lived and spent time abroad, and I have never pretended otherwise. But there is a fundamental difference between the travels of a private citizen and the responsibility of the sitting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," Atiku said. He pointed out that Vice President Kashim Shettima was also outside the country on official duty in Angola, making Tinubu's decision to travel even more difficult to understand.
Painting a grim picture of what Tinubu was leaving behind, Atiku listed "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, and insecurity that buries Nigerians week after week". He argued that the severity of Nigeria's current challenges demanded the President's physical presence. "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.
The former Vice President stressed that his criticism was not against presidential vacations or foreign travel in principle. "It is not that a President must never rest or travel. It is that Nigeria is burning, and the President has chosen a boarding pass over the fire extinguisher," he declared. Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of failing to feel the pain inflicted on Nigerians by its policies. "A government that cannot feel the pain it inflicts will never summon the will to end it," he said.
He concluded by contrasting his proposed leadership with the current administration's record. "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. Tinubu made Nigeria expensive. I will make Nigeria affordable again," Atiku declared.
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