As Nigeria grapples with a fresh wave of violence and mounting security concerns, President Bola Tinubu’s departure for Europe on holiday has triggered sharp criticism from opposition parties, who say the timing sends the wrong signal to a nation on edge.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Labour Party (LP) on Sunday accused the President of showing poor judgment and a lack of empathy by travelling abroad while deadly attacks and foreign military interventions continue to unsettle parts of the country.
The Presidency confirmed earlier on Sunday that Tinubu had left Lagos for Europe on an end-of-year holiday, ahead of an official visit to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he is scheduled to attend the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit in January.
In a statement, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu was travelling at the invitation of UAE President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to participate in the global summit focused on sustainable development.
“His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, has invited President Tinubu to participate in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit,” the statement said, adding that the President would return to Nigeria after the engagement.
But opposition parties say the trip could not have come at a worse time.
Reacting to the development, the ADC described the President’s decision as insensitive, citing the recent bomb explosion in Zamfara State and reports of foreign military action on Nigerian soil.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bola Abdullahi, the party said Nigerians were in need of reassurance from their leader, not absence.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s lack of care is alarming,” Abdullahi said. “In the wake of another deadly bomb blast in Zamfara, and following an unprecedented foreign military attack on Nigerian soil, the nation is waiting for reassurance from its leader. Instead, we learn the President has gone on holiday.”
The Labour Party echoed similar sentiments, accusing the President of failing to read the national mood.
The party’s Acting National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, through her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Asogwa, described the trip as “insensitive and devoid of empathy” for citizens living under the shadow of violence.
According to Usman, the President ought to have remained in the country to coordinate security responses and engage directly with the nation’s security architecture.
“This is the most inauspicious time for the President to leave the country,” she said. “A bomb exploded in Zamfara today, killing several people. This is the moment Nigerians expect leadership, not a holiday abroad.”
Usman further alleged that Nigeria’s sovereignty had been breached, insisting that recent foreign military actions within the country demanded direct presidential oversight.
“Nigeria is under attack by a foreign nation. No matter how the government tries to frame this, it is a violation of our sovereignty. This is the time for the commander-in-chief to coordinate the response, not embark on a holiday,” she said.
She also accused the President of failing to convene high-level security meetings following reported U.S.-led airstrikes on terrorist camps in parts of Sokoto and Kwara states.
The criticisms come amid heightened national anxiety. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump authorised AFRICOM to carry out airstrikes on terrorist camps in Sokoto State, an operation acknowledged hours later by Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A deadly explosion in Zamfara State on Friday further deepened fears over the deteriorating security situation.
The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, now in its 17th edition, will hold from January 11 to 15 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre under the theme “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go.”
The summit brings together global leaders, investors and policymakers to discuss climate action, energy transition and sustainable development.
Tinubu attended the same summit in January 2025, where he met with Gulf leaders and investors on trade, energy cooperation and climate finance.
Since assuming office on May 29, 2023, Tinubu has undertaken at least 46 foreign trips, spending an estimated 192 days outside the country as of October 2025—a record that continues to draw scrutiny as insecurity and economic pressures persist at home.