Atiku blames Tinubu’s holiday on economic hardship, insecurity

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Atiku Abubakar, has criticized Tinubu for his three-week holiday in Europe amidst worsening economic hardship and insecurity in the country.

President Tinubu on Sunday, departed Abuja for Europe to begin a three-week holiday as part of his annual leave.

The President, according to information from his Special Adviser for Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Sunday, will make his first stop in London, England.

Tinubu “is expected to return home after a working holiday to campaign for the January 2027 general elections” the statement said.

Atiku argued that while Nigeria is not facing a constitutional vacuum, the country is experiencing what he called a “disturbing vacuum of political leadership.”

In a statement released on Sunday on his verified X account, he questioned the timing of Tinubu’s trip against the backdrop of the economic hardships facing Nigerians.

Atiku said the President’s decision to travel was very difficult to understand as Vice President Kashim Shettima was also abroad on official duties.

“Leadership is not just a constitutional right to hold a position; it is a judgment to know when your country needs you at home,” he said.

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He cited rising fuel prices, food shortages, rising transportation rates and persistent insecurity as some of the challenges facing Nigerians, arguing that these conditions demanded greater attention from the President.

“Consider what Bola Tinubu left behind. Petrol prices beyond the reach of ordinary people. Families rationing food. Transport rates that turn trips to one’s own village into a luxury. Insecurity that buries Nigerians week after week,” Atiku said.

He emphasized that his criticism was not based on opposition to the president’s vacations or trips abroad, as he himself has traveled and lived abroad.

“I have traveled, lived and spent time abroad, and I have never pretended otherwise. But there is a fundamental difference between the journey of a citizen and the responsibilities of the incumbent President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.

Atiku likened Tinubu’s holiday to a situation where a father leaves home while his family faces an emergency, and stressed that leadership requires leaders to recognize the times when their presence is most needed.

“A father can travel when everything is fine. But when the roof is on fire, and his family is trapped inside, he doesn’t grab his suitcase and head to the airport,” he said.

The former Vice President accused the President of being indifferent to the hardships facing Nigerians, and said that the country’s economic situation required immediate intervention rather than a prolonged absence in the country.

“That’s the problem here. It’s not that a President shouldn’t rest or travel. But Nigeria is burning, and the President has chosen a boarding pass over a fire extinguisher,” Atiku said.

He further claimed that millions of Nigerians are having trouble getting basic transportation while the President continues to travel, and used the contrast to question the government’s sensitivity to the plight of its citizens.

“Millions of Nigerians are forced to live in hardship while their President is on the air. People can barely afford to move, but the President continues to move,” he said.

Atiku also accused the government of failing to adequately appreciate the consequences of its policies on Nigerian society, and stated that a government that does not care about the suffering of its citizens will have difficulty addressing their problems.

“A government that cannot feel the bad impact it is causing will never have the will to end it,” he said.

The ADC presidential candidate concluded by comparing his political promises to those of Tinubu’s administration, stating, “Tinubu made Nigeria expensive. I will make Nigeria affordable again.”