The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rebuked the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for criticising President Bola Tinubu’s recent trip to Europe, insisting that “Nigeria is not governed from a village square.”
In a statement issued on Monday by the party’s spokesman, Seye Oladejo, the APC described the ADC’s remarks as predictable “noise, misinformation, and pedestrian politics.”
Read the related story on New Daily Prime:Lagos APC condemns Okonkwo’s remarks on Tinubu, military rule as ‘reckless’
The response follows criticism from ADC national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, who on Sunday labelled the President’s departure for Europe as “insensitive and alarming” amid escalating security challenges, including a deadly bomb blast in Zamfara State and recent United States airstrikes on terrorist targets in northern Nigeria.
The New Daily Prime reported that Tinubu left Lagos on 28 December for Europe as part of his end-of-year break, ahead of an official visit to Abu Dhabi for the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit, by invitation from the UAE President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Read the related story on New Daily Prime:Lagos APC defends 2023 election report
Oladejo defended the trip, emphasising that in an interconnected global landscape, effective leadership requires ongoing engagement with international partners, investors, and allies.
“President Tinubu’s Europe trip is firmly rooted in this reality,” he said.
“It is about advancing Nigeria’s economic interests, strengthening bilateral relations, attracting investment, and reinforcing Nigeria’s standing in the comity of nations not embarking on sightseeing excursions, as the opposition would like Nigerians to believe.”
He stressed that governance continues seamlessly in the President’s absence, driven by clear policies, delegated authority, and institutional resilience.
“Only the intellectually lazy would assume that leadership is confined to physical presence within national borders,” Oladejo added.
The APC spokesman accused the ADC of lacking substantive alternatives, resorting instead to “monitoring flight schedules” out of “envy and ignorance.”
Read the related story on New Daily Prime:2027: Lagos APC accuses opposition of being desperate
He contrasted Tinubu’s purposeful engagements with past “wasteful foreign trips” that yielded little benefit, noting that critics were often silent during those periods.
Oladejo urged the opposition to elevate its discourse, warning that “empty noise-making” has reduced it to a “caricature.”
As Nigerians approach the new year with renewed hope under the Renewed Hope Agenda, he affirmed that Tinubu remains “decisive, deliberate, and globally engaged” for the nation’s benefit.
For more details, visit New Daily Prime at www.newdailyprime.news.
