The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over what it described as his frequent holidays and foreign travels, accusing the administration of lacking sensitivity to the hardships facing Nigerians.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the remarks on Tuesday while reacting to the current state of governance under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Abdullahi, while drawing a comparison between President Tinubu and former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, said the former leader did not abandon the country during periods of national difficulty.
According to him, Nigeria is experiencing unprecedented economic hardship, which the government continues to downplay despite mounting evidence of widespread suffering.
“The kind of hardship Nigerians are faced with today is unprecedented, but more troubling is the denial of the reality confronting the majority of the people,” Abdullahi said.
He argued that economic indicators and public experience contradict official government claims that the economy is improving.
“Every single record shows that Nigeria is not going in the right direction, yet the government keeps telling Nigerians that the economy is doing very well,” he stated.
Abdullahi further accused the administration of behaving as though it were still in opposition, despite having spent three years in power.
“This is the third year of this administration, yet they are still campaigning and making promises as if they are not the ones in charge,” he said.
The ADC spokesperson described what he called a disturbing lack of empathy on the part of the government, particularly in moments of national crisis.
“The lack of sensitivity is mind-bending. There is a clear absence of concern for what ordinary Nigerians are going through,” he added.
He criticised the President’s frequent travels abroad, especially during times of domestic challenges, noting that former President Jonathan remained in the country when Nigeria faced serious difficulties.
“Former President Goodluck Jonathan did not abandon the country when faced with challenges. He did not run away or go on holidays while terrible things were happening,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC maintained that the APC-led government is not on the right path and called for a more responsive and people-centred approach to governance.
