A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Timi Frank, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Frank described the visit as “callous, indefensible and morally bankrupt” in the wake of renewed bombings in Maiduguri.
Frank condemned Monday’s coordinated explosions near the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, the main market, and the post office, which reportedly left at least 23 people dead and over 100 injured.
“This is not just another attack – it is a national emergency. Our people are being slaughtered, our soldiers are under relentless assault, yet the President is preparing for a ceremonial outing in the UK. That is not leadership; that is abdication of responsibility,” he wrote.
The former APC official also condemned the size of the presidential entourage, describing it as “an obscene and indefensible convoy of power”.
“At a time of mass burials and national grief, what possible justification exists for ferrying such a large retinue of officials abroad? This is not governance – it is extravagance in the face of suffering.
“No responsible leader boards a plane to wine, dine and dance when his country is burying its dead. A President with empathy goes to Maiduguri, not London. He stands with victims, not with banquet hosts,” he added.
Frank also criticised the British government for extending the invitation to the President and his wife.
“The UK is not ignorant of Nigeria’s reality. It knows about the escalating insecurity, mass unemployment, the catastrophic electricity crisis, and deepening concerns over democratic backsliding.
“Yet, in the face of all this, Britain rolls out the red carpet. That is not diplomacy – it is complicity. It is a celebration in the face of tragedy,” he stated.
He warned that the timing of the visit sends “a dangerous and insulting signal” that Nigerian lives are expendable.
“We challenge the UK to provide ten reasons that justify this honour at a time like this. To many Nigerians, this invitation appears to be a subtle endorsement of a second term, despite widespread concerns about governance and the credibility of the last election,” Frank added.
In contrast, Frank praised U.S. President Donald Trump for taking “a clear-eyed and decisive posture” toward Nigeria’s security challenges.
He said, “While some global actors prefer ceremonies and silence, Trump has demonstrated a willingness to stand firmly with Nigeria in confronting terrorism. That is the kind of principled support Nigerians respect.
“Nigeria is in mourning. This is a moment for leadership, compassion and decisive action – not foreign trips, not pageantry, not political theatre. Any President who chooses celebration over solidarity at a time like this has lost the moral right to lead.”
PUNCH Online earlier reported that the President and the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, departed Abuja for a state visit to the United Kingdom, the first by a Nigerian leader in 37 years.
The Airbus A330 conveying the President and his wife left the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at approximately 10:00 am.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Monday disclosed that the President and the First Lady would be guests of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle from March 18 to 19.
President Tinubu is also the first Nigerian leader to be hosted by the British monarch at Windsor Castle.
