Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s continued stay in France while Nigeria is facing a surge of deadly violence and killings across the country.
In a scathing statement issued by his media office on Thursday morning, Atiku accused Tinubu of abandoning Nigeria during one of its darkest moments to embark on what he described as a “vacation cloaked in official jargon.”
Atiku further alleged that President Tinubu had not only abandoned Nigeria and Nigerians but had shown contempt for the citizens by electing to remain abroad while communities in Plateau, Benue, and other parts of the country are under attack.
The PDP chieftain who questioned the rationale behind Tinubu’s acclaimed working vacation in France, queried the timing and necessity of the trip, pointing to a growing death toll from violent attacks at home and the lack of clear communication on what the working visit entails.
Atiku also questioned the logic of spending billions on borrowing while the president embarks on what he called “vanity trips” abroad, suggesting that nothing Tinubu is doing in France could not be done from Nigeria.
The former vice president referenced the recent killings in Plateau State, where over 100 people have died in repeated attacks by armed assailants in recent weeks, attacks in Benue State by suspected herdsmen as well as the resurgence of the Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State and other parts of the northwest, and alleged that the President has abandoned the people to their fate.
“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,” he said.
“While Tinubu dines under chandeliers in the land of good governance, the country he governs is spiraling into chaos.
“By the time Tinubu struts back from this latest escapade, he will have racked up a staggering 59 days in France since assuming office.
“Let the facts speak for themselves. What justification is there for gallivanting across Europe while Nigeria bleeds?” Atiku asked.
© Ripples Nigeria
