Over the past two weeks, Nigeria has witnessed a surge in violence, with more than 100 people killed in brutal attacks across Plateau and Benue states, heightening fears over the deteriorating security situation in the country.
While President Bola Tinubu remains in France on a two-week “working visit,” there has been growing outrage among Nigerians, who are demanding his immediate return to confront the escalating crisis. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, through his spokesman Paul Ibe, issued a scathing statement questioning Tinubu’s decision to remain abroad as insecurity deepens at home.
“When will Tinubu declare a state of emergency on his own disastrous presidency?” Paul Ibe asked in a statement released on Wednesday.
Highlighting the President’s frequent travels, Ibe pointed out that since assuming office, Tinubu has already spent 59 days in France. “Had this absurd announcement been made just a day earlier, Nigerians would have dismissed it as an April Fool’s joke. But it is no joke — it’s another slap in the face of a suffering nation,” he said.
Ibe lambasted Tinubu for prioritizing “luxurious dining under chandeliers in France” while Nigeria descends into chaos. He decried the rising death toll in Plateau, the ongoing violence in Benue, Boko Haram’s renewed territorial gains, and the worsening poverty and insecurity gripping the nation.
“This isn’t just negligence. It’s dereliction of duty on a catastrophic scale,” Ibe stated. “If Tinubu had any shred of empathy or patriotism, he would have returned home immediately to address these tragedies. A true leader doesn’t need to be begged to stand with his people during times of crisis.”
According to the Nigerian Constitution, the security and welfare of the people are supposed to be the government’s primary responsibility. Yet, under Tinubu, Ibe argued, that obligation has been “completely abandoned.”
Ibe criticized the so-called “working visit,” calling it a veiled vacation at a time when Nigerians desperately need leadership. “There is nothing Tinubu is doing in France that he couldn’t have done from Lagos or even Iragbiji,” he said.
Concluding the statement, Ibe emphasized that Nigeria is experiencing a real national emergency — not a politically motivated crisis like the one Tinubu declared in Rivers State. He challenged the President to recognize the collapse of governance and “declare a state of emergency on his own presidency.”
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