The camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu, alleging what it described as a “disturbing pattern of absentee leadership” following a string of brief public appearances and missed official engagements in Lagos and Plateau states.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president’s camp characterised the president’s recent actions as “troubling and unacceptable,” pointing in particular to what it sees as a lack of empathy in the wake of recent security incidents.
Central to the criticism was Tinubu’s recent visit to Plateau State, which followed a deadly terrorist attack. Shaibu described the trip as “shockingly brief and perfunctory,” stating that the president “spent barely 10 minutes at the Jos Airport before departing, an act widely perceived as dismissive of the gravity of the tragedy.” The statement further argued that the explanation given for the short visit—that the president needed to return to Lagos for official duties—has been undermined by subsequent developments.
The Atiku camp also took issue with the president’s two-day working visit to Lagos State, claiming it has been marked more by his absence than active participation. According to Shaibu, Tinubu has remained “largely confined to his private residence, with little to no visible engagement in the very activities meant to validate the so-called working visit.”
Specific events cited include the commissioning of the Opebi–Mende–Ojota Link Bridge and the inauguration of a Multi-Agency Complex, both of which the president reportedly did not attend.
Shaibu noted that Tinubu “failed to personally attend, instead delegating these significant national duties to the Senate President, a close political ally.”
The statement also connected what it described as the president’s detachment to wider concerns, including “recent precautionary actions taken by the United States Government regarding its personnel in Nigeria.”
“At a a time when Nigeria is grappling with worsening insecurity, rising terrorist attacks, and growing international concern, such indifference at the highest level of leadership is both alarming and indefensible,” Shaibu stated.
He went on to characterise the administration as “a presidency that appears detached, disengaged, and disturbingly casual about the weighty obligations of governance.
“We, therefore, call on President Tinubu to urgently recalibrate his approach to governance, re-engage fully with the demands of his office, and demonstrate the seriousness of purpose required to confront the daunting challenges facing our nation. Anything less would amount to a grave disservice to the Nigerian people,” Shaibu said.
