A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Oluwole Olumayokun Oluyede, has faulted former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s three-week vacation abroad, saying Nigeria needs practical solutions to its challenges rather than political theatre.
Oluyede, who is also the Convener of the Oluyede Progressive Alliance for Renewed Hope Agenda, said Atiku’s criticism of the President’s annual vacation was misplaced and amounted to turning a routine presidential leave into a political controversy.
Atiku had criticised Tinubu’s decision to travel abroad, arguing that the President should remain at home amid the economic hardship and insecurity confronting Nigerians.
The former Vice-President described the situation as a “disturbing vacuum of political leadership”, insisting that the President’s absence from the country at such a time was difficult to understand.
But Oluyede, a medical practitioner with professional experience across different healthcare systems, including Australia, Canada and the United States, among others, disagreed with the former Vice-President.
He said Tinubu was on his annual vacation and had not abandoned his constitutional responsibilities.
Oluyede, in a statement on Monday, said there was a clear difference between abandoning official duties and taking annual leave.
He said, “President Tinubu is not missing from duty or running away from Nigeria. He is on his annual vacation. There is a significant difference between abandoning official responsibilities and taking a period of annual leave.
“Leadership should not be measured simply by the number of days a President spends physically within the country. The more important question is whether the machinery of government continues to function and whether the government is taking the right decisions to address the challenges facing Nigerians.”
The PDP leader said Atiku’s analogy of a father leaving a burning house while his family remained trapped inside might be politically appealing, but did not accurately reflect how a constitutional democracy operates.
According to him, Nigeria has institutions and officials constitutionally empowered to continue the business of government when the President is temporarily away.
“Nigeria is not a family house where everything stops because the father walks out of the door. There is a Vice-President, ministers, security chiefs, heads of government agencies and other officials who continue to discharge their responsibilities.
“The President taking his annual leave does not amount to a vacuum of leadership,” he said.
Oluyede, however, acknowledged that Nigerians were facing genuine economic difficulties, saying the hardship being experienced by citizens should not be trivialised.
He said the rising cost of food, transportation and other basic necessities, as well as insecurity and unemployment, remained serious concerns requiring sustained attention from the Federal Government.
“Nobody should dismiss the hardship being experienced by Nigerians. These are real concerns, and the government must continue to respond to them.
“But we must separate legitimate criticism from political rhetoric. Turning the President’s annual vacation into evidence of a leadership vacuum does not address the problems Nigerians are facing,” he said.
The OPARHA convener also disagreed with Atiku’s claim that Tinubu had simply “made Nigeria expensive”, arguing that the country’s economic challenges were the result of longstanding structural problems.
He cited Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products, foreign exchange instability, low domestic production, infrastructure deficits and years of fiscal challenges as issues that had accumulated over time.
Oluyede said the debate should instead focus on how to make the economy more productive and how government policies could reduce the burden on ordinary Nigerians.
He also challenged opposition politicians to present concrete alternatives to the economic policies of the Tinubu administration.
“If you believe the direction of the economy is wrong, tell Nigerians what you would do differently.
“If you oppose subsidy removal, explain how you would sustainably finance the subsidy regime. If you disagree with the exchange-rate policy, present a credible alternative. If you believe food prices can be reduced, tell Nigerians how you intend to increase domestic food production and improve distribution.
“Nigerians deserve policies, not slogans,” Oluyede said.
He urged political leaders to use the approach to the 2027 elections to engage Nigerians on issues affecting their daily lives, including the economy, security, healthcare, education, infrastructure, agriculture and job creation.
Oluyede further argued that physical presence should not be confused with effective leadership.
“A President can be physically present in Abuja every day and still fail to provide effective leadership. Conversely, a President can be temporarily away on annual leave while the machinery of government continues to function.
“The real question is whether government is working and whether Nigerians are beginning to see the benefits of government policies,” he said.
He nevertheless urged the Tinubu administration to remain sensitive to the difficulties confronting Nigerians and intensify efforts to cushion the impact of its economic reforms.
Oluyede said the administration should continue to be judged on measurable outcomes, particularly in the areas of economic recovery, security, healthcare, infrastructure, education and employment.
He also urged the opposition to focus its criticism on government policies and present credible alternatives rather than turning routine presidential activities into political controversies.
“Nigeria needs serious political competition based on ideas and solutions. The opposition has every right to criticise the government, but the criticism should help Nigerians understand what alternative path is being proposed.
“Let us debate the economy. Let us debate security. Let us debate how to reduce poverty, create jobs, improve healthcare and make Nigerian businesses more productive.
“That is the political conversation Nigerians deserve not political theatre over a President taking his annual vacation,” Oluyede said.
