Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency, not on the nation, but on what he describes as a “disastrous presidency.”
Lamenting the escalating insecurity across Nigeria, Atiku criticised President Tinubu for failing to return from his trip to France amid widespread violence and national unrest. He pointed to the renewed killings in Plateau and Benue States, as well as a resurgence of Boko Haram activity, accusing the president of gross negligence and dereliction of duty.
“By the time President Tinubu returns from his latest trip, he would have spent a staggering 59 days in France since assuming office,” Atiku said in a statement issued by his media aide, Paul Ibe.
“At a time when the country is bleeding, and citizens are living in fear, the president is abroad under the guise of a ‘working visit.’ If this announcement had come a day earlier, many Nigerians would have dismissed it as an April Fool’s joke. But this is no prank — it’s yet another insult to a nation in crisis.”
Atiku criticized what he called the administration’s attempt to spin the trip as something other than medical tourism, questioning the president’s priorities and use of public funds.
“What kind of leader borrows billions only to squander scarce resources on vanity trips abroad? It’s not just irresponsible — it’s contemptuous,” he added.
The former presidential candidate also highlighted the dire situation on the ground: over 100 lives lost in Plateau, renewed bloodshed in Benue, Boko Haram reclaiming territory, and worsening poverty and insecurity across the country.
“This is no longer just poor leadership. It’s dereliction of duty on a catastrophic scale,” he said. “A leader with empathy and patriotism would cut his trip short and return immediately. Governance is about showing up, especially in times of crisis.”
Atiku argued that the so-called “working visit” could easily have been conducted from Lagos — or even Iragbiji and accused Tinubu of abandoning his country while it teeters on the brink.
“Nigeria is in a full-blown state of emergency. Not the politically manufactured kind declared in Rivers State for partisan gain — this is a national collapse. So the real question is: when will Tinubu declare a state of emergency on his own disastrous presidency?”