Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has challenged President Bola Tinubu to provide daily, verifiable evidence of his presence in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, for the lesser Hajj, known as Umrah, amid allegations that the trip could include an undisclosed visit to France.
Atiku, through Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, said Nigerians deserved clarity about the President’s whereabouts, daily engagements and the purpose of his trip.
In a statement, the former vice president alleged that intelligence available to him suggested Tinubu might make only a brief appearance in Makkah before travelling to France. He did not provide details of the intelligence in the statement reported by Vanguard.
Atiku called on the Presidency to release current, date-stamped photographs and videos showing Tinubu at the Kaaba and participating in the rites of Umrah.
“Nigerians deserve verifiable proof of the President’s presence in Makkah and a transparent account of his daily activities in the Holy Land,” he said.
The former vice president also questioned whether the trip was connected to concerns about Tinubu’s health and a reported $20 billion loan request involving a French business partner.
He urged the Presidency to address the questions and disclose the President’s full itinerary, adding that Nigerians were entitled to know how the trip was being funded.
Atiku said he and other Nigerians would join Tinubu in praying for the country’s peace and progress. However, he cautioned against invoking religion without sincerity.
“No one should invoke the name of Almighty Allah in vain,” he said, arguing that a spiritual mission undertaken on behalf of the nation should be treated with seriousness and transparency.
The challenge comes amid public interest in Tinubu’s trip to Makkah, which the Presidency has reportedly described as an opportunity to pray for Nigeria.
Atiku’s claims about a possible visit to France and the alleged connection to the reported loan request were not independently substantiated in the report. The statement also did not include a response from the Presidency to the allegations.
