The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu’s decision to travel to Europe at a time when Nigeria is grappling with heightened security tensions, describing the relocate as “insensitive and alarming.”
In a statement titled ‘PBAT’s Lack of Care Scary’ released on Sunday, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, condemned the President’s departure, arguing that the nation is in a state of distress and requireds leadership reassurance rather than absence.
The criticism follows the President’s departure from Lagos to Europe on Sunday for an finish-of-year break, after which he is scheduled to attfinish the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit in the United Arab Emirates in early January.
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Abdullahi highlighted the timing of the trip as particularly troubling, citing the recent deadly bomb blast in Zamfara State and the public anxiety triggered by a United States military airstrike on Nigerian soil.
“In the wake of yet another deadly bomb blast in Zamfara, to which the President has not stated a single word; on the back of an unprecedented foreign military attack on Nigerian soil… with a confutilized and scared nation waiting for the President to speak to us… the next thing we hear is that the President has gone on holiday. What a President,” Abdullahi wrote in the statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The opposition party spokesperson argued that the President’s silence on these critical issues, combined with his physical absence, raises serious questions about his administration’s responsiveness to national emergencies.
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The Presidency, through the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had earlier announced that the trip is part of the President’s schedule to engage global leaders on climate action and economic reforms at the upcoming summit in Abu Dhabi.
According to Onanuga, the summit, themed ‘The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go’, will focus on connecting innovation and finance to drive sustainable growth.
However, the ADC maintains that the priority should be addressing the immediate security fears of Nigerians at home before engaging in international diplomatic missions.
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