Nigeria’s President Tinubu has recently embarked on a private visit to France. The trip has faced much criticism due to ongoing security concerns in the country, with kidnappings and killings in the capital and beyond. Shadow governments, including PDP leader Atiku, have requested the president to resign, and Labour Party leader Peter Obi visited Ibadan after the explosion that took place in the city.
Obi visited Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to offer his condolences regarding the explosion that occurred in the Bodija area of Ibadan on January 16, 2024. During the visit, Obi commiserated with Makinde and the people of the state over the explosion. He also sent condolences to victims and families of those who lost their lives to the tragic blast, while praying to God to comfort the bereaved families.
Tinubu’s recent private visit to France while the country is facing security and economic challenges was criticised by the former vice president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar. However, the Presidency has defended President Tinubu’s visit, stating that he is in constant touch with his officials and security chiefs and has directed them to stamp out every form of criminality in the country.
The security situation is a matter of concern for many, as the country is facing a plethora of security challenges ranging from kidnappings and violent extremism to farmer-herder conflict, banditry, a revived secessionist movement, police repression, piracy, attacks on oil infrastructure, among others.
Some experts now believe the biggest problem Nigeria faces at the moment beyond the parlous state of the economy is general insecurity and some have begun calling on the government to declare a national emergency on the challenge.
Kidnappings have been a recurring phenomenon in Nigeria, with several cases being reported in recent times. The situation has been described as a national emergency by some. Killings as a result of insecurity have also been reported, with several cases being reported in recent times.
Call for Urgent Intervention or Reckless Comments
In a post on X, Atiku accused Tinubu of fiddling with Nigeria in the face of worsening insecurity. While President Tinubu has been away on a private visit to France, kidnappers have killed a grandmother in the nation’s capital and two traditional rulers in Ekiti State. Atiku says the country needs 24/7 leadership to confront insecurity and address the country’s ailing economy.
However, Bayo Onanuga, a special adviser to the president on information and strategy said, “Abubakar is still nursing the hangover of his electoral defeat.”
Onanuga added that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 elections “now latches on to any issue to attack President Tinubu”.
“Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s statement accusing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of fiddling amidst some security and economic challenges is to say the least, reckless,” the statement reads.
“Coming days after he made an equally reckless allegation against the President on the crude loan deal for NNPC Limited, his latest statement fell short of what is expected from an elder statesman. President Tinubu did not travel without informing Nigerians of his whereabouts. He announced a private visit to France and announced a return date.
“While in France, President Tinubu has been following developments at home and he is on top of the situation in the country. Today’s inauguration of the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage bore his imprimatur.
“He is in constant touch with his officials and security chiefs and has directed them to stamp out every form of criminality in the country.
“He has particularly ordered them to apprehend those criminals responsible for the murder of two monarchs in Ekiti State and the kidnapping of some pupils in the state.
“We are already seeing results with the arrest of over 139 kidnappers around Abuja, Kaduna and Benue States in the last one week. The police Special Intervention Squad (SIS) and DSS have also rescued 154 abducted persons in the last few days.
“Just last week, President Tinubu approved N50 billion as a Special Fund to address some of the lingering security challenges in the North East where Alhaji Atiku hails from.
“If Alhaji Atiku is really concerned about security issues and not playing cheap politics, he should have known that President Tinubu is on top of issues and working hard to restore peace to every part of our country.”