By Ken Afor
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, returned to the country on Tuesday night after a two-week private visit to France.
He arrived at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at around 8:50 pm.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, were part of the delegation led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, that received the President.
Others included the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, and the Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, among other top government officials.
It would be recalled that the President travelled to France on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, on a “private visit”, which lasted about two weeks.
Many have condemned the President’s trip to France at a time when his attention is needed to address the myriad of problems facing the country, ranging from insecurity to the high cost of living due to some of his economic policies.
Mr. Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on his X account called on the president to step aside if he is incapable of addressing the rising insecurity and the declining economy in the country.
He wrote, “Tinubu is playing fiddle while Nigeria is drowning in the ocean of insecurity. To imagine that the Commander-in-Chief is on a so-called private visit while kidnappers kill a nursing mother and grandmother in Abuja for failing to pay N90m ransom and two monarchs in Ekiti, among other regular tragedies besetting Nigerians.
“If the shoes are too big for Emilokan, he should step aside. Nigeria does not need another Tourist-in-Chief. The country needs 24/7 leadership to confront the pervasive insecurity and collapsing economy.”
