Former Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, has publicly criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent departure to Europe for a 10-day working vacation, calling him a “vacation president” produced by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) “technical glitches”.
The Presidency announced on Wednesday that President Tinubu departed Abuja on 4 September to commence a working holiday in Europe as part of his 2025 annual leave.
According to a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Tinubu will spend the duration of his leave between France and the United Kingdom before returning to Nigeria.
Reacting to the development in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Dalung lambasted the President for embarking on a foreign vacation at a time when the country continues to grapple with worsening insecurity and economic hardship.
“This is the tragic outcome of INEC’s so-called technical glitches — a conspiracy that has produced a vacation president whose idea of a social contract with Nigerians is sheer entitlement,” Dalung wrote.
He continued: “At a time of escalating insecurity, Tinubu chooses leisure in Europe while the nation drifts. Nigeria is on autopilot, navigating turbulence with clueless, sleeping pilots. Lord, have mercy on this country.”
Dalung, who served under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has been an outspoken critic of the Tinubu government, often taking to social media to voice concerns over national leadership and governance.
President Tinubu’s European vacation comes amidst growing public anxiety over security threats in various parts of the country, including recent attacks in the North-West and rising incidents of kidnapping and armed robbery in urban centres.
Critics have argued that the timing of the President’s leave is insensitive, suggesting that it sends the wrong signal to citizens in distress. However, supporters of the administration maintain that the President is entitled to annual leave and that the “working vacation” will also involve strategic engagements beneficial to Nigeria.
The Presidency has yet to respond to Dalung’s comments.
