ADC Slams Tinubu’s Europe Trip Amid Rising Insecurity, Says It’s Insensitive

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to travel to Europe amid worsening security challenges across the country, describing the move as insensitive and alarming.

The party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the remarks in a statement titled “PBAT’s lack of care scary,” which he shared on his verified X handle on Sunday.

LEADERSHIP had earlier reported that President Tinubu departed Nigeria for Europe ahead of his participation in the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit in UAE, where he is expected to engage global leaders on climate action, economic reforms and sustainable development.

However, Abdullahi argued that the President’s foreign trip came at a troubling time, as the country grappled with renewed insecurity, including a deadly bomb explosion in Zamfara State and heightened public anxiety following recent United States military strikes on Nigerian soil.

According to him, Nigerians were still waiting for reassurance from the President when news of his travel broke.

“In the wake of yet another deadly bomb blast in Zamfara, to which the President has not said a single word; on the back of an unprecedented foreign military attack on Nigerian soil; right in the middle of all the uncertainty it has provoked; with a confused and scared nation waiting for the President to speak to us and assure us that all is well, the next thing we hear is that the President has gone on holiday. What a President,” Abdullahi said.

The ADC spokesperson stressed that the President’s continued silence on critical national security issues, combined with his absence from the country, raised serious concerns about leadership responsiveness at a time of national distress.

LEADERSHIP reports that President Tinubu departed Lagos for Europe on Sunday as part of his end-of-year break, ahead of his official visit to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that Tinubu was scheduled to participate in the 2026 edition of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit, following an invitation from the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The summit, expected to hold in early January, will bring together leaders from government, business and civil society to advance global conversations on sustainable development.

Onanuga noted that the 2026 Summit will be held under the theme “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go,” with a focus on connecting innovation, finance and people to drive sustainable growth.