Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to spend three weeks in Europe, arguing that the country needs stronger political leadership amid worsening economic hardship and insecurity.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, made the remarks in a statement while questioning the timing of the President’s foreign trip.
He said the country was grappling with high petrol prices, rising food and transport costs as well as persistent insecurity, making Tinubu’s extended stay abroad difficult to justify.
According to Atiku, the President’s absence was particularly concerning because Vice President Kashim Shettima was also outside the country on official duties.
He argued that occupying the presidency required more than the constitutional authority attached to the office, saying a leader must recognise moments when the country requires his presence.
Atiku said the situation facing Nigerians could be likened to a family whose house was on fire, arguing that such circumstances demanded immediate intervention rather than departure.
“It is that Nigeria is burning, and the President has chosen a boarding pass over the fire extinguisher,” he said.
The former vice president said millions of Nigerians were struggling with the rising cost of living while the President continued to travel.
He also accused the Tinubu administration of making life more expensive for citizens, promising that his administration would reverse the trend if elected.
“Tinubu made Nigeria expensive. I will make Nigeria affordable again,” Atiku said.
He maintained that a government that failed to understand the hardship experienced by citizens would struggle to develop the political will required to address the country’s challenges.
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