‘Nigeria is burning’ – Atiku criticises Tinubu over three-week Europe vacation

African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his decision to spend three weeks on vacation in Europe.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Atiku described Tinubu’s absence from Nigeria at a time when many citizens are facing economic hardship as a “disturbing vacuum of political leadership.”

He said while there was no constitutional vacuum because the country remained under the existing legal framework, the timing and circumstances of the President’s trip raised concerns about his priorities as leader.

“Nigeria is burning. Nigeria may not be facing a constitutional vacuum today, but there is a disturbing vacuum of political leadership,” Atiku said.

The former vice-president contrasted Tinubu’s trip with his own travels, noting that the responsibilities of a sitting president were different from those of a private citizen.

“I have travelled, lived and spent time abroad, and I have never pretended otherwise. But there is a fundamental difference between the travels of a private citizen and the responsibility of the sitting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he added.

The presidential candidate listed the rising living costs, food insecurity, high transport fares and insecurity among the challenges confronting Nigerians.

He argued that the situation required the President’s presence in the country.

“Consider what Bola Tinubu is leaving behind. Petrol priced beyond the reach of ordinary people. Families rationing food. Transport fares that have turned a journey to one’s own village into a luxury. Insecurity that buries Nigerians week after week,” he said.

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