Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his decision to embark on a three-week vacation in Europe amid worsening economic hardship and insecurity in Nigeria.
Atiku, in a statement on Sunday, described the President’s absence from the country as a reflection of what he called a “disturbing vacuum of political leadership”.
The former vice-president acknowledged that Tinubu’s absence did not create a constitutional vacuum, noting that the constitutional process for presidential succession remained in place.
However, he argued that the circumstances surrounding the President’s trip raised serious questions about his priorities and leadership at a time when Nigerians were facing mounting challenges.
“Nigeria is burning. Nigeria may not be facing a constitutional vacuum today, but there is a disturbing vacuum of political leadership,” Atiku said.
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The ADC presidential candidate said the responsibilities of a sitting president were different from those of a private citizen, noting that his own travels abroad could not be compared with Tinubu’s current absence from the country.
“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,” he added.
Atiku listed rising living costs, food insecurity, increasing transport fares and persistent insecurity among the major problems confronting Nigerians.
He argued that the scale of the challenges required the direct attention and leadership of the President.
“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.
The former vice-president’s criticism comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, with opposition parties increasingly challenging the policies and leadership of the Tinubu administration.
Atiku has continued to position the ADC as an alternative political platform ahead of the 2027 presidential election, while the ruling All Progressives Congress has defended the administration’s economic reforms and policies.
