The ADC presidential candidate says Tinubu’s absence, with Shettima also abroad, creates a “disturbing vacuum of political leadership.”
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu for embarking on a three-week vacation in Europe amid Nigeria’s economic and security challenges.
The Presidency announced on Sunday that President Tinubu had departed Abuja for Europe as part of his annual leave.
Reacting in a post on X, Atiku said the President’s absence, coming while Vice President Kashim Shettima is also out of the country on official duty, had created what he described as a “disturbing vacuum of political leadership.”
Atiku argued that Nigerians were facing high petrol prices, food insecurity, rising transport costs and worsening insecurity, saying the situation required the President’s attention.
He said: “Nigeria may not be facing a constitutional vacuum today, but there is a disturbing vacuum of political leadership.”
The former Vice President maintained that while a president is entitled to rest and travel, the timing of President Tinubu’s vacation was inappropriate given the challenges facing the country.
He likened the situation to a father leaving home while his family is trapped in a burning building, saying Nigerians needed leadership focused on addressing their immediate difficulties.
Atiku also accused the President Tinubu administration of making life increasingly expensive for Nigerians, promising that his administration would make the country more affordable if elected president in 2027.
President Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria after the three-week vacation and join the campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections.