…Atiku disagrees, wants FG to declare state of emergency on presidency
The Presidency yesterday said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to his duties remains unwavering, and his administration continues to function effectively under his leadership.
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed this in a statement yesterday, said President Tinubu remains fully engaged in Nigeria’s governance even though he is away in Europe.
It said Tinubu’s absence remains temporary and in line with the communicated timeframe of approximately two weeks,(to return)after the Easter holiday.
“The President left Paris for London at the weekend and has maintained constant communication with key government officials, overseeing critical national matters, including directives to security chiefs to address emerging threats in some parts of the country. His return to Abuja and the resumption of duties at Aso Villa will follow the conclusion of the Easter holiday.
“The President’s commitment to his duties remains unwavering, and his administration continues to function effectively under his leadership.
“We appreciate the public’s concern and assure all Nigerians that governance proceeds without interruption,” Onanuga said.
Onanuga’s statement came on the heels of a visceral attack on the administration by the opposition led by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement released by his spokesman, Paul Ibe, Atiku stated that Nigeria is in a full-blown state of emergency.
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 spiraling 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.
“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?