Nigeria in crisis while Bola Tinubu stays abroad, Atiku Abubakar says

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu's recent trip to France, describing it as insensitive and irresponsible at a time when Nigeria is grappling with widespread insecurity and economic hardship.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Atiku, through his media aide Paul Ibe, described Nigeria as being in a "full-blown state of emergency," and questioned the President's decision to leave the country on what was described as a “working visit.”

Atiku noted that Tinubu departed Nigeria for France on April 2, 2025, amid ongoing violence in several parts of the country, including recent attacks in Plateau and Benue States, as well as the continued threat of Boko Haram in the North-East.

"Had this absurd announcement come just a day earlier, Nigerians would have dismissed it as an April Fool’s joke," the statement read. "But sadly, it’s no prank — just another insult to a nation pushed to the brink."

The former Vice President argued that the trip, which the presidency said was not for medical purposes, offered no clear justification. 

He accused Tinubu of spending public funds on unnecessary international travel, saying the president had now spent a total of 59 days in France since taking office in 2023.

“At a time when Nigerians are contending with insecurity, rising poverty, and daily hardship, the president is away in Europe while the country bleeds,” Atiku said.

He accused the president of neglecting his constitutional responsibilities, adding that a leader who truly empathized with the people would have returned immediately in the face of national crisis.

“There is absolutely nothing Tinubu is doing in France that he couldn’t do in Lagos or even in Iragbiji. This trip is nothing more than a vacation cloaked in official jargon,” the statement added.

Atiku also criticized what he called the administration’s selective use of emergency powers, referring to the recent political crisis in Rivers State. 

He called on the president to declare a state of emergency “on his own disastrous presidency.”

The statement concluded with a call for responsible leadership, emphasizing that Nigeria’s security and welfare should take precedence over foreign engagements.