Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised Tinubu over what he described as media theatrics surrounding a viral photograph taken in Paris, saying the presidency is focused on optics while the country battles hunger, insecurity, and economic hardship.
Atiku’s reaction followed official explanations from the presidency over a picture showing Tinubu seated with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Paris.
The image had sparked claims and counterclaims online, including allegations that it was manipulated.
In a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said Nigerians were more concerned about leadership and solutions than explanations about photographs and private meetings abroad.
The statement, titled “Nigerians Need Leadership, Not a Paris Menu,” expressed concern that at a time when many citizens are struggling to survive, the presidency chose to address public curiosity about who Tinubu met and dined with in France.
“At a moment when Nigerians are crushed by hunger, insecurity, collapsing businesses, and a brutal cost-of-living crisis, the presidency chose to brief the nation on who the President had lunch with and who he dined with in Paris,” the statement said.
According to Atiku, the focus on defending images and clarifying camera quality shows a disconnect from the realities facing Nigerians, especially communities under constant attacks and families unable to afford basic food items.
He described the development as tone deaf, adding that Nigerians did not ask for explanations about meals in Paris but demanded decisive leadership at home.
The former vice president also dismissed the outrage over claims that the image was artificial or forged, saying public doubt was a natural outcome of eroded trust in government communication.
“When credibility is eroded, doubt follows naturally. Instead of asking why trust has collapsed, the presidency is lecturing Nigerians and attacking the media,” the statement added.
Atiku maintained that the real crisis was not a photograph but what he called a distortion of leadership priorities, noting that insecurity and economic hardship continue to deepen across the country.
He urged Tinubu to return home and confront the challenges facing Nigerians with urgency and humility, stressing that addressing hunger, insecurity, and economic collapse should take precedence over public relations battles.
“That is the minimum Nigerians expect,” Atiku said.
