Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of using his announced Umrah pilgrimage as a smokescreen, saying credible intelligence available to him suggests France may be the President’s actual destination.
In a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, director of strategic communication for the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said there was reason to believe Tinubu might make only a brief appearance in Makkah before proceeding to France.
He also questioned whether the trip was connected to the President’s health and a reported $20 billion loan request involving a French business partner.
Atiku called on the Presidency to address these concerns and disclose the President’s full itinerary.
He said that if Tinubu was travelling to pray for Nigeria, the Presidency should release clear, current, date-stamped photographs and videos each day showing him at the Kaaba and taking part in the rites of Umrah.
Nigerians, he said, deserved verifiable proof of the President’s presence in Makkah and a transparent account of his daily activities in the Holy Land.
Atiku said he and other Nigerians would join Tinubu in salat and prayers for the peace and progress of the country.
He cautioned that no one should invoke the name of Almighty Allah in vain, adding that a spiritual mission undertaken on behalf of the nation should be treated with seriousness and transparency.
Atiku said an official trip presented as a mission for Nigeria was a matter of public interest. Nigerians, he added, were entitled to know the President’s daily engagements and how the trip was being funded.
He urged the Presidency to answer these questions plainly and provide the evidence the country deserved.
