Political analyst and Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Sam Amadi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to spend three weeks on vacation in Europe, saying Nigeria needs a president who can remain fully engaged with the country’s challenges.
Amadi made the comments after Tinubu departed Abuja for Europe as part of his annual leave. The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu would first travel to London, United Kingdom.
The President is expected to return to Nigeria after the three-week break and take part in campaign activities ahead of the January 2027 presidential election. His vacation comes as political parties intensify preparations for the election.
Reacting to the development on X, Amadi described Tinubu as a “resting president” and questioned the decision to leave the country for an extended break while Nigerians continue to face major economic and social challenges.
“The president leaves town to rest for three weeks in the midst of all these problems. Tinubu surely knows how to rest,” Amadi wrote.
He went further to argue that Nigeria has experienced what he called “resting presidents” for years. Amadi said he hoped the 2027 election would produce a president who would not require what he described as regular treatment and extensive periods of rest.
Amadi, however, said his criticism was not aimed at people who become ill or require rest. He acknowledged that sickness and ageing are part of life, but argued that leaders must consider how their personal circumstances affect their ability to govern.
“It is not Tinubu’s fault. Anyone can be sick and old,” he said. But he added that a president should be able to rest without, in his view, putting the “common good” at risk.
The comments are likely to add to the political debate surrounding Tinubu’s vacation, particularly as the 2027 election approaches and opposition figures continue to scrutinise the President’s record, health, workload and leadership style.
