Former Senate President Decries Executive Rascality, Urges NASS to Rein in Presidency
Former Senate President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has strongly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for embarking on foreign trips at the same time, describing the action as “executive rascality” and a “serious dereliction of duty.”
Wabara expressed outrage over what he termed a “disdainful disregard for Nigerians,” following President Tinubu’s two-week working visit to France and Vice President Shettima’s trip to Senegal to represent Nigeria at the country’s 65th Independence Day celebration on April 4.
According to the former Senate President, the simultaneous absence of both the President and his Vice amounts to leaving Nigeria “headless,” especially at a time when numerous national issues demand urgent attention and leadership.
“While Mr President has the right to travel when necessary, he must hand over power to the Vice President in an acting capacity. But what do we say when the Vice President himself is also out of the country? This is not just unacceptable, it is a blatant disregard for due process and the responsibilities of governance,” Wabara said in a statement on Sunday.
He argued that the Vice President’s trip to Senegal could have easily been handled by the Minister of Foreign Affairs or another senior government official, rather than leaving the country without its top two leaders.
“This is not the first time this has happened. It shows a flagrant display of disdain for the people whose mandate they carry. Governance is not a side hustle. The office of the President and Vice President is too important to be abandoned for foreign engagements that do not directly address Nigeria’s pressing issues,” he added.
Wabara described the trips as an “insult to Nigerians” and a “misplacement of priority,” especially in the face of widespread insecurity, political unrest, and economic hardship across the country.
“With the rising tension in Edo State, killings in the North Central and Northwest, political turmoil in Rivers and Bayelsa, and persistent insecurity nationwide, it is shocking that both the President and Vice President would choose to travel at the same time,” he said.
The PDP chieftain called on the National Assembly to rise to its constitutional duty of checking executive excesses to prevent what he termed “state capture” and the erosion of democratic principles.
“Our democracy is under siege. What we’re witnessing is executive recklessness, and the National Assembly must not look the other way. They must demand accountability and ensure that the Nigerian Constitution is respected at all times,” he said.
Wabara urged President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima to show greater commitment to governance and stop “making Nigeria’s democracy a laughing stock before the global community.”
“It’s time to stop toying with the future of over 200 million Nigerians,” he concluded.
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