Former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, has expressed shock and disappointment over the simultaneous foreign trips taken by Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, calling it “the height of executive rascality.”
While Tinubu was in France for a two-week working visit, Vice President Shettima traveled to Dakar, Senegal, to represent the President at the country’s 65th Independence Day Anniversary celebrations on April 4.
Wabara criticized both leaders, accusing them of leaving Nigeria “headless” during their absence.
He described the scenario as “a serious dereliction of duty and display of utter disregard for the people of Nigeria.”
The former Senate President explained that “while Mr President has the right to travel outside the country when necessary, he should duly hand over power to his Vice in an Acting capacity.”
He, therefore, argued that “it is absolutely not proper for the VP who should be the Acting President to also travel out of the country while Mr President is still away”.
The former Senate President said if Nigeria must be represented at the event in Senegal, the relevant Government Official, “in this case the Foreign Affairs Minister, should have been delegated instead of the Vice President leaving the country headless.”
Senator Wabara, who also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), expressed his surprise at the simultaneous foreign trips taken by both the President and the Vice President, questioning why they would abandon governance at the same time.
The former Senate President who recalled that it was not the first time Tinubu and the VP would be traveling out of the country at the same time, said “it amounts to a fragrant display of disdain for the people on whose mandate they occupy such sensitive offices”.
Senator Wabara emphasized that “the office of the President and Vice President is so crucial that the occupants should prioritize national interest over personal gains.”
He expressed confusion over how the President and his Vice could prioritize a two-week vacation in France and participation in Senegal’s independence anniversary over Nigeria’s national interests.
He argued that abandoning the country at a time when numerous critical issues demand the attention of both leaders “is, to say the least, an insult to Nigeria and the offices they occupy.”
The former Senate President urged Tinubu and his Vice to “stop toying with the future of Nigerians and focus on governance.”
He said:”It’s baffling to hear that the President and his Vice both abandoned governance and travelled out of the country at the same time, thus leaving the country headless. How can the country be burning and the number one and number two citizens of the country be away? This can only happen in Nigeria.
“How else can a leader show disdain for the people he swore an oath to lead and defend. Leaving the country headless at a time so many boiling issues demand presidential intervention, is a misplacement of priority.
“With the rising tension in Edo State and threats of reprisal in parts of the North; the bloodbath in Plateau, Zamfara, Sokoto and Benue; the political apprehension in Rivers and Bayelsa States; plus the festering insecurity in many states; traveling out of Nigeria is the least to expect from any serious-minded, patriotic President and his Vice.
” Tinubu and his Vice, have again, clearly demonstrated that either they are overwhelmed or simply not prepared for governance. They have shown that they have little or no regard for Nigeria and Nigerians.”
The former Senate President urged the National Assembly to uphold its constitutional duty of serving as a check on the Executive, in order to prevent impunity.
Wabara, who claimed that “democracy in Nigeria is under state capture,” warned against what he referred to as “executive rascality.”
The ex-Diplomat advised Tinubu to adhere to due process and standard governance practices, urging him to “stop making our democracy a laughing stock on the global stage.”
