Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has publicly criticised President Bola Tinubu for embarking on a three-week vacation in Europe while Nigeria grapples with severe economic and security challenges. The Presidency announced on Sunday, August 30, that Tinubu had departed Abuja for Europe as part of his annual leave.
Atiku's Social Media Response
Reacting via social media, Atiku condemned the President's decision to travel at a time when Nigerians are facing high petrol prices, food insecurity, rising transport fares, and worsening insecurity. He likened Tinubu's choice to a father leaving his home while his family is trapped inside a burning building.
In his post, Atiku stated: "Nigeria may not be facing a constitutional vacuum today, but there is a disturbing vacuum of political leadership. 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."
Criticism of Leadership Priorities
Atiku highlighted the pressing issues Tinubu is leaving behind, including petrol priced beyond the reach of ordinary people, families rationing food, transport fares that have turned journeys to villages into luxuries, and insecurity that buries Nigerians week after week. He questioned the President's judgment, noting that the Vice President is also abroad on official duty, making Tinubu's decision even more difficult to understand.
"Leadership is not merely the constitutional right to occupy an office; it is the judgment to know when your country needs you at home," Atiku wrote. "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."
Impact on Nigerians
Atiku emphasised that the issue is not that a President must never rest or travel, but that Nigeria is burning while the President has chosen a boarding pass over the fire extinguisher. He noted that millions of Nigerians are being grounded by hardship while their President is airborne, and that the people can barely afford to move while the President keeps moving.
He concluded: "A government that cannot feel the pain it inflicts will never summon the will to end it." The criticism underscores growing public discontent over the government's handling of economic and security challenges amid the President's absence.
