Victor EzejaFormer Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has launched a fresh criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s style of governance.
Atiku called on the president to declare a state of emergency, not on the country, but on his own “disastrous presidency.”
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIn a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Paul Ibe, Atiku, who was the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), criticised President Tinubu’s frequent foreign trips, highlighting the implications on public resources.
Speaking on Tinubu’s current trip to Paris in France, Atiku accused the president of abandoning the country in a time of serious crisis, choosing instead to remain in France under the guise of a “working visit.”
He asserted that the presidency struggled to explain that Tinubu’s travel to France wasn’t a medical trip, but Nigerians aren’t buying the spin.
“The presidency scrambled to clarify that it wasn’t a medical trip — how noble. But even if it’s not medical tourism, what justification is there for gallivanting across Europe while Nigeria bleeds? What kind of leader borrows billions only to blow scarce funds on vanity trips abroad? It’s not just irresponsible— it’s contemptuous,” Atiku lamented.
He said that while Tinubu enjoys himself in France, where there is good governance, the country he governs is being ravaged by chaos, driven by insecurity and poverty.
“Plateau has turned into a killing field — over 100 lives lost in relentless attacks. Benue is bleeding. Boko Haram is seizing territory. And every single day, Nigerians sink deeper into poverty, insecurity, and despair.
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“This isn’t just negligence. It’s dereliction of duty on a catastrophic scale,” Atiku stated.
The former vice president further stated that if Tinubu had any form of sympathy over what is happening in the country, especially the lives lost in recent attacks in Plateau and other parts of the country, he would have cut his trip short and returned home immediately.
“A leader with an ounce of patriotism wouldn’t need to be begged to show up in times of crisis.”
He pointed out that the constitution says the security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of government, but under Tinubu’s administration, “that sacred duty has been trashed.”
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“Let’s be honest: there is absolutely nothing Tinubu is doing in France that he couldn’t do in Lagos, or even in Iragbiji. This so-called “working visit” is nothing more than a vacation cloaked in official jargon.”
He expressed concerns that with what is happening, Nigeria is in a deep crisis and needs an urgent measure to tackle it.
“Nigeria is in a full-blown state of emergency. Not a contrived political emergency like what Tinubu declared in Rivers for partisan gain — this is a national collapse.
“So, when, exactly, will Tinubu declare a state of emergency on his own disastrous presidency?” Atiku asked.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
