In a statement issued on Thursday, Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku, expressed concern over what he described as the President’s apparent detachment from governance.
“The increasingly disturbing pattern of absentee leadership exhibited by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose recent conduct in office raises serious questions about his commitment to the responsibilities entrusted to him by the Nigerian people, is concerning,” Shaibu said.
He criticised Tinubu’s recent trip to Lagos, which was officially described as a working visit, stating that the President failed to attend several key engagements.
“It is both troubling and unacceptable that, despite embarking on what was officially described as a two-day working visit to Lagos State, the President has failed to make meaningful public appearances at several key state functions he was scheduled to attend,” the statement read.
Shaibu also referenced Tinubu’s recent visit to Plateau State following a deadly attack, describing it as inadequate.
“This follows closely on the heels of his shockingly brief and perfunctory visit to Plateau State, where, in the aftermath of a devastating terrorist attack, he spent barely ten minutes at the Jos Airport before departing—an act widely perceived as dismissive of the gravity of the tragedy,” he wrote.
He dismissed the explanation given by presidential aides regarding the Lagos trip.
“The justification offered by his media handlers—that he was proceeding to Lagos for official engagements—has now been rendered hollow,” he wrote.
According to Shaibu, the President has remained largely out of the public eye since arriving in Lagos.
“Since his arrival in Lagos, the President 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,” he said.
While acknowledging the commissioning of the Iperu Airport in Ogun State, he argued that the President failed to personally attend other major events.
“Beyond the commissioning of the Iperu Airport in Ogun State—an event that bore more resemblance to a partisan political gathering than a solemn state function—the President has been conspicuously absent from other critical engagements,” Shaibu said.
He specifically mentioned the commissioning of the Opebi–Mende–Ojota Link Bridge and the inauguration of a Multi-Agency Complex, which Tinubu delegated to the Senate President.
“Notably, he failed to personally attend the commissioning of the much-advertised Opebi–Mende–Ojota Link Bridge and the inauguration of the Multi-Agency Complex, instead delegating these significant national duties to the Senate President, a close political ally,” he wrote.
Shaibu warned that such actions come at a time of worsening insecurity and rising global concern.
“At a time when Nigeria is grappling with worsening insecurity, rising terrorist attacks, and growing international concern—including the recent precautionary actions taken by the United States Government regarding its personnel in Nigeria—such indifference at the highest level of leadership is both alarming and indefensible,” he wrote.
He concluded that the President’s recent conduct reflects a troubling trend.
“From the fleeting appearance in Jos to the near-invisibility in Lagos, a troubling pattern has emerged: a presidency that appears detached, disengaged, and disturbingly casual about the weighty obligations of governance.
“Leadership is not a ceremonial privilege; it is a solemn duty. The office of the President demands presence, responsiveness, and an unwavering sense of responsibility—qualities that are evidently in short supply in the current administration,” he said.
Shaibu urged the President to take corrective action.
“We therefore call on President Bola Ahmed 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,” he noted.