ABUJA, Nigeria – Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu for remaining in Europe while Nigeria grapples with an escalating security crisis.
Tinubu, who departed Nigeria for France on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, for a two-week “working visit,” has faced growing opposition due to the surge in killings and abductions across the country, particularly in Plateau and Benue states.
Last week, the president left Paris for London.
Atiku, in a statement issued on Sunday, April 20, 2025, condemned the president’s decision to stay abroad while innocent Nigerians continue to be victims of violence.
He described the Tinubu administration as “utterly incapable” and “wholly incompetent,” particularly in its handling of the country’s deepening security crisis.
The former vice president argued that leadership demands presence, citing examples of other global leaders who have cut short their trips to attend to urgent matters at home.
He referenced U.S. President Barack Obama’s return to the U.S. in 2016 after a gunman killed five police officers, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa who abandoned a state visit in 2019 to return during an electricity crisis, and Nigeria’s own President Goodluck Jonathan, who cut his trip short in 2014 after a deadly bomb blast in Abuja.
Atiku further lamented the president’s absence, accusing him of displaying indifference in the face of mounting tragedies.
“The blood of innocent Nigerians continues to be spilled with appalling regularity, yet the Tinubu presidency remains disturbingly indifferent,” Atiku said, referencing recent attacks in Logo and Gbagir communities of Ukum LGA in Benue State.
He continued, “Leadership demands presence. If the president cannot act, the least he can do is show up. Nigeria is bleeding, and the president is nowhere to be found.”
In his remarks, Atiku stressed the need for the president to demonstrate empathy towards Nigerians.
He said, “If Tinubu cannot deliver safety and dignity to Nigerians, the very least he can do is pretend to care.”
Atiku concluded by calling on Tinubu to prove that he cares for all Nigerians, regardless of their ethnic, political, or religious affiliation.
