…asks when President will declare emergency on his “disastrous presidency”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a blistering attack on President Bola Tinubu, describing Nigeria as being in a “full-blown state of emergency” while accusing the President of abandoning the country to enjoy lavish foreign trips.
Atiku, in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Media Office through Paul Ibe, condemned President Tinubu’s recent trip to France, which commenced on April 2, 2025, describing it as an act of “dereliction of duty on a catastrophic scale.”
The former Vice President said the announcement of the President’s departure would have been considered an April Fool’s joke had it come a day earlier, but lamented that it was instead “another insult to a nation pushed to the brink by a presidency that treats its citizens like fools.”
He slammed the Presidency for what it termed a “working visit,” dismissing the explanation as dishonest and unconvincing. He questioned the rationale behind the foreign trip, especially at a time when Nigeria is facing worsening insecurity, deepening poverty, and economic decline.
“The presidency scrambled to clarify that it wasn’t a medical trip — how noble. But even if it’s not medical tourism, what justification is there for gallivanting across Europe while Nigeria bleeds?” Atiku queried. “What kind of leader borrows billions only to blow scarce funds on vanity trips abroad? It’s not just irresponsible—it’s contemptuous.”
According to Atiku, the trip to France adds to a growing pattern of absentee leadership, revealing that Tinubu would have spent a cumulative 59 days in France since assuming office.
“See Paris and die? No — see Paris and abandon your country,” he remarked sarcastically.
Citing escalating violence and insecurity across various parts of the country, the PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 election highlighted the killings in Plateau State, renewed attacks in Benue, and Boko Haram’s increasing audacity in seizing territories as glaring evidence of a national breakdown.
“Plateau has turned into a killing field — over 100 lives lost in relentless attacks. Benue is bleeding. Boko Haram is seizing territory. And every single day, Nigerians sink deeper into poverty, insecurity, and despair,” Atiku said.
He maintained that nothing the President is doing in France could not be done within Nigeria, describing the trip as “a vacation cloaked in official jargon.”
“If Tinubu had even a shred of empathy, he would cut his trip short and return immediately. A leader with an ounce of patriotism wouldn’t need to be begged to show up in times of crisis,” he said.
Atiku noted that while Tinubu declared a political state of emergency in Rivers State for what he claimed was partisan interest, he has refused to acknowledge what he described as a genuine national collapse.
“Nigeria is in a full-blown state of emergency. Not a contrived political emergency like what Tinubu declared in Rivers for partisan gain — this is a national collapse. So when, exactly, will Tinubu declare a state of emergency on his own disastrous presidency?” he asked.
The statement, which was signed by Paul Ibe, concluded with a call for President Tinubu to show true leadership and prioritise the security and welfare of Nigerians, as enshrined in the constitution.
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