The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has berated President Bola Tinubu for remaining in France while violence and killings persist in Benue and Plateau states.
In a statement released by his media office on Wednesday, Atiku stated that President Tinubu cannot keep feasting and enjoying himself while countless lives are being lost to ongoing attacks.
Since March 9, when renewed attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen claimed at least 15 lives in several communities within Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, more casualties have continued to be recorded due to assaults by unidentified gunmen.
In a related incident, a fresh attack occurred on Sunday night in Zike hamlet, Kimakpa community, Kwall District of Irigwe Chiefdom, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, where at least 52 people were confirmed dead, including an entire family of eight, and numerous properties were destroyed by fire.
Despite the ongoing violence in Benue, Plateau, and other parts of the country, President Tinubu, who departed for France on April 2, has yet to return to Nigeria.
In his response, the former Vice President called on Tinubu to return to the country and fulfil his primary constitutional responsibility of safeguarding the nation and enhancing the welfare of its citizens.
The statement reads, “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 territory. 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,” he stated.
Atiku stated that there is nothing Tinubu is handling in France that couldn’t be addressed within Nigeria.
The statement read in part, “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 disastrous presidency?
“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.”