The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Tinubu of treating his job as Nigeria’s leader like a part-time job.
The opposition party stated that Tinubu’s “excessive foreign travel culture” has resulted in his absence from the country for nearly a quarter of his presidency.
In a statement made available to Naijaonpoint on Thursday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused President Tinubu of prioritizing irrelevant international trips over urgent domestic issues, especially growing insecurity, widespread poverty and growing epidemic of malnutrition among children.
Specifically, the party noted that President Tinubu has spent about 181 days abroad since assuming office 26 months ago, and this latest trip is the 40th in 26 months, a new record for any Nigerian or African leader in recent memory.
The ADC described the trips as wasteful, considering they bring no real economic gains to the country.
It therefore called on the President to demonstrate concern for Nigerians who face diverse challenges on a daily basis and need an available leader who shows concern for their plight and feelings.
The full statement read:
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) wishes to once again draw the attention of all Nigerians to the alarming frequency with which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is absent from the country, at a time when leadership at home is needed more than ever.
“Today, President Tinubu will depart Abuja for yet another foreign tour. By public records, this will be the President’s 40th foreign trip since assuming office, spending a cumulative total of around 181 days abroad, the equivalent of almost six full months. This means that in the 26 months he has been President, nearly 25% of his time has been spent outside the country.
“During this trip, President Tinubu is on track to make his 41st international stop before setting foot in most Nigerian states. Since inauguration, President Tinubu has only visited 13 out of 36 States, but has visited more foreign countries during the same period. This is not good. Moreso, considering that there are no real economic gains for the junkets despite the billions of Naira spent per day and per trip.
“Set against the growing insecurity that claims the lives of an average 30 Nigerians each day, and widespread poverty that have left majority of citizens in misery, this frequent flier presidency stands in stark contrast and as a testament to a government that no longer cares what the people think or feel.
“From Benue to Zamfara and other parts of our country, taxes are being imposed by bandits, citizens are being slaughtered in their homes, millions are facing economic hardship and the population of malnourished children has continued to grow. Nigerians expect their President to be on ground to provide leadership, empathy, and direction. However, it would appear that the President thinks that there are more serious problems for him to solve outside the country or he believes the solutions to the many troubles we face at home could actually be found on these trips abroad.
“It is important to note that since August 1, 2025, the President had disappeared from public view for more than a week. This had sparked widespread rumours that the President was sick. Fortunately, the presidency issued a statement, assuring the nation that the President is as fit as a fiddle. But this is not enough.
“Rumour of a sick president, or even mere conversations that could raise doubts about the state of the President’s health are potentially damaging to the economy, could discourage potential investors, further embolden our enemies. Therefore, it is not good enough to say the President was working hard from home or from any secret hideouts. Whenever a president drops out of sight without an explanation, it gives rise to all kinds of damaging rumours. And a one-day cameo appearance that looked stage-managed, followed immediately by yet another foreign trip, without a clearly stated date of return is not going to help in quelling such rumours.
“Perhaps, if the President had heeded our persistent call to him to appoint ambassadors he would not have a need to accept every invitations or to personally attend every meeting. For avoidance of doubts, all these meetings, even with the best of intentions, are not likely to yield any real benefits to Nigeria without ambassadors to follow up on agreements reached.
“In this regard, the ADC wishes to reiterate that: Nigeria deserves a President who is present. While millions of our citizens are suffering, our leaders cannot afford to treat governance like a part-time job.”
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