Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that Nigeria is in a full-blown state of emergency and wondered when President Bola Tinubu would declare an emergency on his Presidency.
Atiku, in a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, yesterday, said while President Tinubu dines under chandeliers in the land of good governance, Nigeria has descended into chaos.
He stated that there was no justification for President Tinubu to be gallivanting in Europe while the country is bleeding, noting that the President’s action amounted to a “dereliction of duty on a catastrophic scale.”
He said, “On April 2, 2025, President Bola Tinubu flew out to France. Had this absurd announcement come just a day earlier, Nigerians would have dismissed it as an April Fool’s joke. But sadly, it’s no prank, just another insult to a nation pushed to the brink by a presidency that treats its citizens like fools.
“The official excuse? A so-called working visit. But Nigerians aren’t buying the spin. 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? What kind of leader borrows billions only to blow scarce funds on vanity trips abroad? It’s not just irresponsible, it’s contemptuous.
“Let the facts speak for themselves. By the time Tinubu struts back from this latest escapade, he will have racked up a staggering 59 days in France since assuming office. “See Paris and die?” No, see Paris and abandon your country.
“While Tinubu dines under chandeliers in the land of good governance, the country he governs is spiralling into chaos. Plateau has turned into a killing field, over 100 lives lost in relentless attacks. Benue is bleeding. Boko Haram is seizing territories. And every single day, Nigerians sink deeper into poverty, insecurity and despair.
“This isn’t just negligence. It’s dereliction of duty on a catastrophic scale.”
Atiku added that, “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. The constitution says the security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of government. But under Tinubu, that sacred duty has been trashed.
“Let’s be honest: there is absolutely nothing Tinubu is doing in France that he couldn’t do in Lagos, or even in Iragbiji. This so-called “working visit” is nothing more than a vacation cloaked in official jargon.
“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?”
Also, the former Vice President, in a tweet shared by his media office, said the coalition train had left “the station” and would make multiple stops to bring Nigerians of different persuasions on board.
The tweet reads: “Yesterday, I met with a delegation of two groups, during which I briefed them about the status of the pan-Nigerian coalition that I am building in conjunction with other leaders and stakeholders across political divides and regions. I informed them that the Nigerian movement is being powered by Nigerians desirous of reclaiming and rebuilding their country from across the nooks and crannies of our country.
“Indeed, the Coalition Train has left the station and would have multiple stops to bring on board Nigerians of all shades. First was the meeting with a delegation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Nasarawa State, led by Alhaji Jibirin Sabo Keana. The second was a delegation of national opinion leaders, led by Yusuf Sheriff Banki.”
