Frank criticizes Tinubu’s trip to UK, berates Britain…

[Press Release] Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Tuesday slammed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the President’s planned state visit to the United Kingdom in the wake of the fresh attacks in Maiduguri, as “callous, indefensible and morally bankrupt”.

In a detailed statement on Tuesday, Frank said the coordinated explosions that devastated Maiduguri on Monday evening – including near the Maiduguri University Teaching Hospital, Main Market and Post Office – exposing civilians to mass casualties – are “a tragic and blood-soaked verdict on a flawed security architecture”.

Citing official figures, he said no fewer than 23 Nigerians were killed and over 100 injured in attacks blamed on suspected suicide bombers, warning that the country “is bleeding while its leadership is distracted.”

“This isn’t just another attack – it’s a national emergency,” Frank said. “Our people are being massacred, our soldiers are under relentless attack, and yet the President is preparing for a ceremonial exit to the United Kingdom. This is not leadership; it is abdication of responsibility.”

He called for the immediate cancellation of the trip to the UK, insisting that any departure from Nigeria at such a time would amount to “a cruel abandonment of grieving citizens”.

“No responsible leader gets on a plane to wine, dine and dance while his country is burying its dead,” he said. “An empathetic president goes to Maiduguri, not London. He stands with the victims, not the banquet guests.”

Frank extended his attack on the British government, accusing it of “shocking hypocrisy and moral blindness” for extending the invitation in the first place.

“The UK is not ignorant of the reality of Nigeria,” he said. “He knows about growing insecurity, mass unemployment strangling millions of people, and the catastrophic electricity crisis that has crippled industries. He is also aware of growing concerns about democratic decline: a National Assembly and judiciary that many believe have been weakened and silenced, and a political system that tilts dangerously toward a one-party state.”

“And yet, in the face of all this, Britain rolls out the red carpet. This is not diplomacy, it is complicity. It is a celebration in the face of tragedy.

“He is also aware of growing concerns about the state of democracy, including allegations that Nigeria is moving towards a one-party system under Tinubu, with both the National Assembly and the judiciary weakened and silenced.”

Frank said the timing of the visit sends “a dangerous and offensive signal” that Nigerian lives are expendable and that governance failures can be overlooked for the sake of a ceremonial photo opportunity.

He added: “We challenge the UK to provide ten reasons that justify this honor at a time like this. For many Nigerians, this call appears to be a subtle endorsement of a second term, despite widespread concerns about governance and the credibility of the latest elections.”

Drawing comparisons, he noted that if a similar level of violence occurred in the United Kingdom, its leaders would largely suspend ceremonial engagements and focus on national security.

He also condemned what he described as an “obscene and indefensible convoy of power” accompanying the president, calling it evidence of a government “detached from pain and given to excess.”

According to him, the delegation includes Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu.

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Also listed are the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani; and Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd).

He added that National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed, are also part of the entourage.

“At a time of mass burials and national grief, what possible justification exists for ferrying such a large retinue of officials abroad?” Frank asked. “This is not governance: it is extravagance in the face of suffering.”

Frank further said Nigeria’s counter-terrorism war has been fatally weakened by corruption and internal sabotage, arguing that resources and military equipment meant to defeat the rebels are being diverted.

“It is an open secret that mismanagement and corruption have crippled our security response. There are disturbing reports of weapons intended for our troops ending up in the hands of terrorists. However, the government continues to act as if all is well,” he said.

He urged the international community to fundamentally reconsider its engagement with Nigeria, warning that uncritical support risks encouraging failure rather than resolving the crisis.

In stark contrast, Frank reserved rare praise for US President Donald Trump, praising what he described as a “clear-headed and decisive attitude” towards Nigeria’s security challenges.

“While some global players prefer ceremony and silence, Trump has demonstrated a willingness to firmly support Nigeria in the fight against terrorism. This is the kind of principled support that Nigerians respect,” he said.

Frank told the Presidency: “that Nigeria is in mourning. This is a time of leadership, compassion and decisive action – not foreign travel, not pageantry, not political theatre. Any president who chooses celebration over solidarity at a time like this has lost the moral right to lead.”

Signed:

Comrade Timi Frank
Ambassador of ULMWP (East Africa and the Middle East) e
Senior Advisor, Global Friendship City Association (GFCA), United States.

March 17, 2026

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