Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has slammed President Bola Tinubu for embarking on a three-week trip to Europe, saying Nigeria is suffering a “disturbing vacuum of political leadership” at a time of deep economic hardship.
In a statement released on Sunday, Atiku drew a sharp contrast between the President’s role and that of a private citizen, arguing that leadership demands presence during a crisis.
“Nigeria may not be facing a constitutional vacuum today, but there is a disturbing vacuum of political leadership,” Atiku said.
He listed the challenges Nigerians are facing under the current administration: petrol priced beyond the reach of ordinary people, families rationing food, soaring transport fares, and worsening insecurity “that buries Nigerians week after week.”
“Consider what Bola Tinubu is leaving behind,” Atiku stated. “In the middle of all this, President Tinubu has packed his bags for three weeks in Europe.”
The former VP noted that while the Vice President is abroad on official duty, the President’s decision to travel is “even more difficult to understand.”
Using a pointed analogy, Atiku said: “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.”
“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 added.
Atiku accused the government of being disconnected from the pain of citizens. “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. A government that cannot feel the pain it inflicts will never summon the will to end it.”
He closed with a direct political pledge: “Tinubu made Nigeria expensive. I will make Nigeria affordable again.”
The Presidency is yet to respond to Atiku’s criticism.
The statement comes amid continued public debate over fuel prices, cost of living, and security across Nigeria.
