Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s three-week departure to Europe describing it as evidence of a profound leadership vacuum during one of Nigeria’s most severe economic and security crises.
In a statement released on Sunday, Abubakar argued that while the country does not currently face a constitutional crisis, it is suffering from a concerning lack of presidential presence and empathy.
He drew a contrast between private travel and the public obligations of a head of state, emphasizing that true leadership requires the sound judgment to remain on the ground when the nation is distressed.
The former VP underscored the worsening domestic conditions confronting citizens, citing exorbitant petrol prices, rampant food inflation forcing families to ration meals, soaring transportation costs, and persistent insecurity across various regions.
He noted that the decision to travel is compounded by the fact that Vice President Kashim Shettima is concurrently out of the country on official duty, leaving the nation effectively unattended by its top two elected executives.
The former vice president further observed that a father does not pack a suitcase for the airport while his house is actively on fire and his family remains trapped inside.
He contended that the administration appears detached from the everyday struggles of citizens, remarking that millions of Nigerians are grounded by extreme hardship while their president remains airborne.
The former VP also argued that a government disconnected from the public’s pain will never muster the political will to relieve it, vowing that he would work to reverse the current economic policies and make living conditions in Nigeria affordable again.